When The First Love Dies
by Zerolr
Summary: Miku fell in love for the 1st time and with a man twice her age. After failing to confess, they say goodbye. However a chain of events w/a pink haired samurai changes everything Miku/Kaito, Len/Miku, Luka/Gakupo, Yuuma/ decided  R&R Thanx
1. Thank you, Good Bye

**Story Information:**

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><p>Title: When the First Love Dies<p>

Pairing Focus: Kaito/Miku

Genre: Drama/Romance/Action

Setting: AU

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><p><strong>Author Notes<strong>:

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><p>Hello Everyone! This story is written in 1st POV from various vocaloids. Seven different stories that all interlace with each other. I will mark who's POV it is at the beginning of the chapter.<p>

In this fanfiction, the vocaloids are normal breathing people. The Kagamine twins are related to each other. Meiko's last name is Sakine from the young Meiko version, but don't be confused, she is the same Meiko.

The vocaloids VY1 is called Mizuki Yamaha and VY2 is Yuuma Yamaha. The last name Yamaha I added from the "Y" in VY1 and VY2 that stands for Yamaha. Their appearance is after the winning mascot contest images. Yuuma is one of the main characters in this fanfic, simply because I luvs him. :3

Miki is actually "SF-A2 Miki" everybody else should be recognizable if you know them... I didn't add all ALL of the vocaloids. But I will see how it goes as time goes on. As of now I'm trying to focus the story on the most popular ones, namely ones produced by Crypton.

The setting of this story is in a fictional place called Vocaloid City. And the school there is called Vocal High School. Whatever, call it lame, I'm just making it simple for myself. The plot itself however is going to be very well detailed...

This story's title and the lyrics in italics are taken from a song called, "When The First Love Dies" I highly suggest that you watch the video before reading this story to get the same feel given off in this story. Miku sings this song...

_As for the pairings in this fic, I will let the plot slowly decide for me. Don't get me wrong. I know what I'm doing with these pairings, and I'm doing it on purpose...  
><em>

_ I am firstly writing this for my own enjoyment, and I'm just sharing it for others to read. I can receive suggestions. But I won't necessarily take them. The pairings that are created are based on the favoritism of the plot . I am warning you, I love crack pairings and the characters tend to have more than one love interest. Even Kaito/Miku isn't a final pairing. You have to be into this story for the drama. If you strongly wish for just one paring to happen that doesn't seem to happen, don't bash me. Just leave and go for another story..._

That's all, my chickies, I hope you enjoy reading this as I did writing it...

- Zerolr -

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><p><strong>Vocaloid POV<strong>: Miku Hatsune

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><p><em>Thank you, farewell<br>This painful, unrequited love  
>If my feet stops, I might remember it<br>That's why  
>Thank you, farewell<br>Because I won't cry  
>That's what I thought, and then, softly,<br>The snow falls down  
>If I touch it, it would've melted away<em>

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><p><strong>1st Song – Arigato, Sayonara<strong>

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><p>It was cold, I remember... So so cold, but I remember barely feeling how cold it was. My heart stopped beating. His blue eyes met me from across the plaza as he smiled. I smiled back while my fingers played with the tips of my bangs. I bit my lip looking down, I couldn't look into his eyes anymore...<p>

"Hatsune..."

I looked up, he had walked up to me, I swear, I felt like everyone in the plaza disappeared. Everyone except him. I felt a tingling in my fingertips as I lost all sensation of touch.

Was this part of my love sickness?

Or was it actually the cold?

I couldn't tell...

"Kaito..." I whispered. I dared myself. I dared to say his first name... I need to show him how I felt. That it was okay, that age didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

For me, love is war...

I saw his eyes go wide for a second, and then they softened, a beautiful cerulean color.

"Hatsune," he said, his smile was bittersweet, "Please call me by my last name, Shion..."

I felt a knife stab me, it was far worst than the chilly December wind that blew. I decided not to give up. I need to tell him, I need tell him how I feel. It's now or never. I looked away I felt my eyes wanting to sting with tears.

"Hatsune, I'm sorry," I heard him say. I could tell that he was worried about me, "I didn't mean to sound rude," he began, "We barely know each other after all, and I am very much older than you. As strangers I don't want others getting the wrong idea about us... okay?" He sweetly tilted his head to the side as he tried to catch my averted eyes.

But he didn't get it. That is exactly what I wanted. But for some reason, as I tried to talk but the right words wouldn't come out.

"I'm sorry I called you out, in such a weather..."

"It's okay..." I took in a deep shaky breath.

Come on, Miku, you can say it just tell him...

I tug my grey peat coat tighter around myself as I shivered.

"You okay?" he asked, "Hold on..."

I saw him take off his long blue scarf and wrapped it around me. He had a smile that brighten the air around me in a soft white color. He was practically angelic. I know it was just me seeing things this way... but that is the only way I can see it...

"Believe or not, scarfs can really keep you warm, you should start wearing them," he said as he carefully finished securing it around my neck. I felt his gloves brush against the skin of my neck as puffs of steam from our breaths entered the atmosphere.

"Thank you..." I smiled. I can feel myself tremble from nervousness from the inside.

"I won't keep you waiting any longer, I know it's cold... I reason I called you out here, is to tell you that I can't keep seeing you anymore..."

"Huh?" My eyes go wide, I don't want to believe what he is saying, "What do you mean?" I cry out. I need to tell him! I need to do it now!

He took both of my hands in his and looked into my eyes earnestly, "Please, don't be upset, it's not in a bad way... It's me,"

"But I don't want to stop seeing you... you mean so much to me!" I cried.

I saw him take a step back, he eyes as they looked at me were wavering. He pursed his lips and I would of killed to find out what was going through his mind...

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

I wonder, did he figure it out? Does he know? What is he thinking? And why can't I still talk? What the hell is wrong with me?

Huh?

I looked up at the sky. It had just started to snow. The first snow of the winter.

Kaito looked up as well and he raised his open palms to catch the falling snowflakes. Looking down our eyes met at the same time.

"Hatsune, let's just text each other okay?"

My face just lit up.

"Nnn!" I nodded energetically.

"Do you still have my phone number?" he asked smiling a bit.

"Yes I do!" I knew that my cheeks were red, my face felt so hot.

I head him sigh, before he spoke again, "It's not that I don't ever want to see you again, it's well... I have a lot of problems right now, and I don't want you to be tangled into them. You have your studies and your friends, I don't want to get in the way of that."

"Is that really everything? It isn't me?" I asked. I needed to know what somehow I'm not the one being a bother to him.

I heard him laugh, it was a soft chuckle in that warm voice of his. I just blushed even redder, while I puffed my cheeks. Did I say something silly?

"Of course it's not you!" he explained, "Like I said before, it's me... silly old me..." He placed a hand over my head.

I puffed my cheeks and slapped his hand away.

"I'm not a child!" I cried.

He placed his hands on his hips and he looked at me and smiled, "I know, trust me I know..."

He looked at me I couldn't tell what the look in his eyes met.

"Good bye, Hatsune Miku,"

His voice sounded somewhat cold, somewhat distant... and at the same time, kind of sad.

"It's not really a goodbye," I added, ever the optimistic, "Because we'll still keep in touch remember?" I pulled out my cellphone and waved it in front of him as emphasis.

He smiled and just said, "Yeah, you're right I guess..."

And with that he walked off.

I just stood there in the middle of the plaza where I had waited for him as he walked off. And I just watched him until I couldn't see him anymore...

**END CHAPTER**

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><p>Chapter 2 Preview:<p>

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><p>I push open the door of my favorite bar and walked down to my usual table and sat down. It was already occupied by two people; my sister-in-law Meiko Sakine, and Haku Yowane, a fellow drinker we met at this bar.<p>

Meiko moved aside as I sat next to her.

"Hey, hey," why do you look so miserable?" She looked with concern the way an older sister would for her younger brother.

I just sighed and ordered some drinks.

Haku had her head resting sidelong on the table and was just looking up at me.

"I saw you talking to someone at the plaza..." she said in her dreary voice.


	2. The First Snow

**Vocaloid POV**: Kaito Shion

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><p><em>On the main street that leads to the station<br>The couples cuddling close together, looks fun  
>"Hey look, it's the first snow of winter!"<br>I wanted to be like this with you  
>The first that I made<br>A hand knitted muffler..._

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><p><strong>2nd Song – The First Snow<strong>

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><p>Before I knew it, it became dark. The snow was already covering the ground. It looks like it's here to stay. The first snow of the winter... I've always felt that it gave off such a magical feeling... but that feeling was now blocked by a feeling of queasiness.<p>

I push open the door of my favorite bar and walked down to my usual table and sat down. It was already occupied by two people; my sister-in-law Meiko Sakine, and Haku Yowane, a fellow drinker we met at this place.

Meiko moved aside as I sat next to her.

"Hey, hey," why do you look so miserable?" She looked with concern the way an older sister would for her younger brother.

I just sighed and ordered some drinks.

Haku had her head resting sidelong on the table and was just looking up at me.

"I saw you talking to someone at the plaza..." she said in her dreary voice.

"Kaito," Meiko took a good look at me, "Where's your scarf?" she asked, "You don't go anywhere without that thing..."

I sighed heavily. It was time to tell them... It's a surprise that I've kept it to myself for this long...

"Okay, I'mma tell you, but you have to promise that you aren't going to look at me like I have six heads..."

Meiko's pursed her lips and her eyes narrowed. Heh, as usual she has such low expectations of me.

"You fell in love with a stripper, didn't you?" she hissed.

I just sighed.

"Aww fuck!" she chugged sake from the bottle itself and slouched back in her seat.

Haku was licking the bottom of her small cup and looking aimlessly in such a daze someone would expect her to be under the influence of some very strong weed.

These are my friends... I miserably thought...

"No, no... Mei, it's not that. Seriously, I'm beginning to get worried about your opinion of me," I gave her an apprehensive look, and then proceeded to pour myself my own drink picking from one of the five bottles that rested on the table.

And to think, there are people who imagine only men to be heavy drinkers...

"Then what's your story?" Meiko slurred, "I swear if you made a girl cry, I'm gonna grab you by the neck and tombstone you to the ground!"

"Hai, hai..." I replied nervously raising my two hands to show her my honesty, "It's not as bad as you imagine... I think..." I sighed again. I'm starting to remember why I wanted to keep this to myself in the first place...

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><p>Well, this is about two months ago, October, on Halloween. There was that Halloween party we went together Mei, remember?<p>

Yeah...

I decided to go walking, since I didn't have money for a taxi. I was dressed like a police officer and just made my way on my own. I tugged and loosened the scarf around my neck... Ugh... My memory of that night was blurry. I could remember seeing her crying by herself on the corner of the street. She wasn't dressed in any costume at all.

Perhaps I was too drunk.

Perhaps it didn't look the way I saw it.

But it doesn't matter does it? Because that's how I saw it...

I saw her, crying with her hands pressed against her chest. She had hair up in pigtails, two long tails of green turquoise, flowing around her. It seemed surreal. Such frail frame surrounded by this haunting color. It wasn't exactly blue, nor was it green. It looked more green to me that night, as she cried.

I decide to walk up to her and I tripped over my own scarf and fell face-first into the sidewalk concrete.

She stopped weeping and ran up to me.

I could hear hear her calling out to me. Asking me if I was alright.

But I couldn't remember what I was saying. What she was saying. I just remembered seeing how her lips moved. I remember liking the sound of her voice.

So I smiled...

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><p>I paused in my story because I wasn't hearing anything from the both of them. When I looked up from my concentration I saw Haku who sat across of me with both hands holding up her head listening intently and Meiko shoved me harshly.<p>

"Don't stop! What happened next?" she chastised.

My eyes went wide.

I wonder, was it weird for me to act the way I did? I was drunk that night after all... but it made me wonder. I've never been fascinated in a woman that wasn't in a sexual matter. When I looked at her... All I could recall was how beautiful she looked to me...

I took another drink from my cup.

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><p>When I came to, it was in a large room on a white sheeted bed with mahogany floors. White sheets and everything was plain black chic. The windows were covered by transparent white curtains. I slowly sat up and ran my fingers through my hair.<p>

I had a raging headache that didn't let me see clearly. I look to my left and there was a small wheelie tray stand with aspirin and seltzer water. I didn't take it. I was confused on how I ended up there. But mostly I wondered about the woman I saw yesterday. I was getting ready to slip out of bed when someone walked in.

It wasn't her. It was another woman. Taller and more well endowed. I'm talking like D cups at least...

Oi! Mei, don't hit me!

Ahem... so, her hair was bubble gum pink and flowed down past her waist but not as long. For some strange reason, it reminded me like of the tentacles of an octopus or a squid... donno.

"Good morning, my name is Megurine Luka," she spoke with tact and poise. Right away I knew from her rather cold indifferent stare that she was a person of few words.

"H-hey..." I winced as I felt the pound in my head become more acute.

"There is medication, to ease your hangover,"

"O-okay... how... did I end up here?" I lean over and throw the aspirin in my mouth and swallow it with the water. I cover my eyes with my hand as I rested my elbow on the stand.

"You were picked up by the mistress of this household," She explained rather flatly.

"Mistress?" I lifted my head, failing to hide my interest.

"Luka? Is he awake?"

I look towards the door and I saw her enter. I realized then that I wasn't dreaming, but her hair under the morning sun now looked more blue than green. She wore a white baby doll top with blue short jeans and slippers. Her long hair done up in her usual pigtails.

"Yes, but I must warn you, you shouldn't go and pick up drunk men on the street."

"Gomen-nee, Luka, honest this will be the last time," I saw her smile sweetly and I couldn't help but smile. But that moment this Luka gave me a venomous look that almost instantly wiped the smile off my face. I chucked my head down and stared at my lap feeling like a little boy chastised at school.

"Luka! Don't be mean to him, he didn't do anything to deserve it," she then turned her attention to me.

"Hello, how are you feeling?" she asked.

I felt so fidgty, I rubbed my hand at the back of my head and tried my best to play it casual. But I was hung over. I was doomed to look like an idiot.

"Kaito uh, wait. Uh. Yeah, Ka—no... I mean..." I stopped and she started laughing.

I looked up at her and started to laugh as well.

"I mean to say, I'm fine. And that my name is Shion Kaito. I couldn't get the words right, at first." I smiled nervously.

"Oh that's okay," she sat at the end of the bed. There was considerable distance between us.

"My name is Hatsune Miku."

She looked much younger than how I saw her the night before, but I didn't think too much into it.

"So I can assume you where the one who picked me up last night?" I chimed. I tried to flash her a flirty smile, but I felt my head hammer the side of my skull and whined.

"You okay?" Her voice was feathery and light. A very soothing pleasant sound.  
>"Ah ahha... it's alright. This is what happens when you take a whole bottle of vodka to yourself," I joked.<p>

But I was serious. I took a whole bottle and I drank it. Like a boss. Well anyways getting back...

"You shouldn't do that, it's not good to drink to get drunk..."

"I normally don't like to get roaring drunk, but it feels good sometimes..." I chuckled, "I just hate the hangovers."

"It's a reminder of what you shouldn't do," she giggled.

"Hahh.. well, have you ever gotten drunk?"

"No, I don't drink," she chirped.

"Oh really?" I blinked, I took a good look at her and considered on asking her for her age. But then I decided not to... I was afraid of the answer. Instead in that moment we stared at each other.

She crawled on to the bed until she was up to me and took a closer look at my face. At this point when she did so Luka was outside of the room. I never noticed when she left. And I was nervously imagining that she was somewhere out there spying on me.

I couldn't understand why I felt that way...

"Do I have something on my face?" I asked her.

"Your eyes are so blue... It's the same as you're hair..." she whispered.

"And so are yours..." I replied.

I felt like she grabbed my heart and she was squeezing it. I had this urge of just kissing her.

Okay, okay fine... alright Meiko shut up... please can I continue? No Haku, I didn't kiss her.

Instead, I just turned my head away and insisted that I needed to leave.

"Come and visit me," she said earnestly.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets, "Why?" I asked. I was at a lost for why she suddenly said so.

"Because you promised."

"Eh?"

I saw her pout and her eyes waver, "You didn't forget, did you?"

"Eh, eh, eh?" I looked around as a sweat started to build on the back of my head. I quickly began to piece parts of last night in my head.

She talked to me.

And I replied.

We were talking, after I fell to the ground... but the thing is, I don't remember what I had said. But I don't want to look bad. I wanted to impress her. I wanted her to like me.

"Sure! Why would I forget?" I grinned.

And then she smiled. It was a smile that showed a desperate longing. Like she needed to hear those words.

What the hell did I promise her?

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><p>I stopped and drank some more.<p>

"Did you eventually ask her what was the promise?" Meiko asked.

I slowly shook my head, "No, instead, I kept seeing her. Spending time with her."

Haku tugged my sleeve, "Ne, nee... did you ever kiss her? Take her to your place, did you fuck?"

"No, no, heck no! I can't," I roughly chugged another cup. I was starting to feel the liquor get to me.

"Well," Meiko leaned back on her seat, "I haven't heard the BUT in this story," She looked me in the eye, "How old is she, Kaito?"

I drop my head to the table, just because I felt like shit. I didn't want to tell her... because I knew what she was going to say.

"She's sixteen..."

"You disgust me." Meiko tilted her head back as she emptied the rest of her bottle in her mouth.

"Meiiiii... don't look at me like that! Oh please! I didn't do anything with her! Honest! We just became friends..." I heavily sighed. Now it was my head resting on the table instead of Haku's.

"So why is your scarf gone?" she asked.

"And why were you talking to her in the plaza?" Haku added.

"I met with her today, to tell her that I didn't want to see her again," I said rather slowly. The words sounded strange coming out of my mouth, "She was cold, and it started to snow, so I gave her my scarf..." I felt my eyes water.

I didn't hear Mei or Haku say anything to me.

"She was upset. She said that I was important to her, she wondered if it was her fault..." My vision blurred, "I told her that I was going to text her... even though I don't ever plan on doing so... she looked so happy..." I couldn't talk anymore.

My chest heaved in a sob. I started to cry.

It was the alcohol. I always get emotional when I drink.

But I'm glad it was done in front of them. Could you imagine? A twenty-six year old man, crying over a teenager? It's pathetic, really...

**END CHAPTER**

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><p>Chapter 3 Preview<p>

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><p>Cold, it was so fucking cold. Shit. I rubbed my gloved hands together. Music blasted from my headphones, it colored the world with a rocking melody. The walking pedestrians looked like they hopped to the beat. The cars the lights, everything flashed with vivid pulsing sound.<p>

I adjusted the hoodie over my head as I brushed snow off my jacket. It's been snowing for a second day in a row, and school was tomorrow. I wasn't looking forward to it. But then again, I wasn't looking forward to getting home either...

I get to the skate park. And I saw some people hanging about. Some kids with boards sliding down shit. I looked about notice some of them stare.


	3. Pink is a Manly Color

**Author Notes:**

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><p>Okay let me explain something really quick. A<em> katana<em> is a Japanese sword right? Well a _wakizashi_ is a katana that is shorter than the average size of a katana. It's usually shorter than 2 feet. The wakizashi blades vary in length. _O-wakizashi_ is the name for those close to the size of a katana and _Ko-wakizashi_ are those that are closer to the size of a _Tanto_, which is a katana that is shorter than 12 inches.

Yuuma utilizes a O-wakizashi. Hope you found this helpful. Enjoy reading, chickies :3

- Zerolr -

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><p><strong>Vocaloid POV: <strong>Yuuma Yamaha (VY2 Yuuma)

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><p><strong>3rd Song – Pink is a Manly Color<strong>

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><p>Cold, it was so fucking cold. Shit. I rubbed my gloved hands together. Music blasted from my headphones, it colored the world with a rocking melody. The walking pedestrians looked like they hopped to the beat. The cars the lights, everything flashed with vivid pulsing sound.<p>

I adjusted the hoodie over my head as I brushed snow off my jacket. It's been snowing for a second day in a row, and school was tomorrow. I wasn't looking forward to it. But then again, I wasn't looking forward to getting home either...

I get to the skate park. And I saw some people hanging about. Some kids with boards sliding down shit. I looked about notice some of them stare.

I walked through, almost there. This grocery store that sold pinapple soda.

Then I notice something. I turned off the music and I looked out from the corner of my eye. I saw a punk I knew from my school ganging up on some kid. They were both a bit outta plain sight, as I saw how the punk pushed the kid up against the wall.

I cuss under my breath and head over there. The Japanese wakizashi hanging at my hips clinked with every step I took.

"Where's the fucking money bitch!"

I saw the punk choke the kid against the wall.

I knew him. He had silvery white hair, bi-colored eyes.

"I-I'm sorry... I don't have it..." he whined.

"You sound like a straight up bitch..." the way he said it didn't sound like he was annoyed but rather interested. It made me sick to my stomach.

"Let go..." he tried kicking but the punk just rammed his arm pinning the kid more against the wall.

"What are you, a boy? Or girl...heh... I need to find out..." he grabbed the kid's coat and pulled down the zipper.

"Let 'em go."

The pig headed punk turned around shocked to find someone snuck up on him.

"What the fuck? Get outta here! This ain't none ya business!" he croaked.

"The truth finally rears it's ugly head..." I scoffed, "You just wanted to fuck him, didn't ya?"

He grabs the boy and throws him to the ground.

"I said MIND YOUR OWN FUCKIN BUSINESS!"

I pulled out my blade and pointed it out in front of him, "And I say shut the fuck up,"

He back up, and started to sweat.

"Get the fuck out. If I see you near him, I will kill you."

He ran away nearly tripping on his own feet.

"T-thank you..."

I looked over my shoulder and saw the kid pulling himself to his feet. One eye green the other blue. I thought about how badly I wanted a white husky with those type of eyes.

"Ain't nothing," I sheathed my wakizashi, "Now go and stop getting picked on."

I turn around and started walked way. I turned on my music and blinded myself to everything around me That's just how I am. My surroundings always move according to the music I play.

I feel a tug. It goes against the pounding beat of my song. As I pull off a muff, I looked behind me. The brat smiled up at me.

"What?"

"Why do you carry that?" He asked pointing to my wakizashi.

"To kill people."

I was about to put the muff back over the ear, when he started talking again.

"Well I think you're lying."

I stopped my mp3 player, turned around and glared at him.

"I don't care. Get the fuck out of my sight."

"M-my name is Utatane Piko..."

I blinked. And it grew quiet between us. I just stare at him.

"Utatan—,"

"Get. The fuck. Out."

"Okay... sorry.." he turned around.

I looked as he slowly walked way. Ah fuck. I was too harsh on him. But don't want him tagging behind me. Worse than a stray cat.

I reached the grocery store and bought my pineapple soda with a bag of chips. My cellphone lit up and I checked it. It was my sister, Mizki. Looks like she came back from her tour. She acts like her life as a singing idol is a drag. But she's actually addicted to it.

Okay. So I'm home. I take off my hoodie and give to the butler.

Yeah, you heard right, the butler.

I'm rich because my parents are snooty business people and my sister is part of a multi-billion dollar record company.

"Mizki! I'm home!" I bellowed, I scuffle over to the bathroom and start to take off my clothes. I propped up my wakizashi on the wall next to the door. There is a radio system installed in the wall, and I turned it on full blast. I step in the large tub and decide to just take a shower. I blow it all the way to the hot water and I stand there just lifting my face to let it hit me.

The melding of the guitars echo off the tile walls and puts me in ecstasy.

But suddenly it stops.

"Yuuma, what the hell?"

I lower the volume of the water to hear Mizki's voice better.

"I texted you and you never replied! And when you walked in you just go and take a shower?"

"Uh, I stink. What do you want me to do?"

"Whatever,"

I can hear the door slam behind her.

"Fuckin shit...," I muttered. I stepped out and turned on the radio.

–

Dinner. The table was filled with food even though it was only two people. The servants stayed out of the way, just within ear shot. In case anyone wanted anything. Right now I wanted a cream pie so I can throw it at Mizki's face.

"Yuuma, I needed to talk to you, but you took forever to come home. It's something that has been decided by father, and I think it's for the best."

"What? You're moving out?" I smirked.

"I already have my own house," she narrowed her eyes, "I just stay here for our parents' sake."

"So, they're never here... that's a lame excuse." I scoffed as I shoved rice in my mouth with my chopsticks.

I could tell Mizki didn't pay attention to what I just said, "You moving out to a small apartment on other side of town."

I stopped eating.

"It's closer to the high school. And it will be able to help you concentrate more on your studies."

"Bullshit."

Mizki just closed her eyes, without even flinching, "You're causing too many problems."

"What problems am I causing if the media doesn't even know that I'm your brother?" I pointed out, as I started to scarf down the beef.

"You carry a wakizashi around like it's nothing. Do you how many incidents father had to excuse you out of? And no matter what we do, you won't ever let go of that thing."

"It's a memento. The only thing we have of our grandfather, remember? Our old man got rid of everything. Just because of some grudge."

I hear Mizki sigh.

"I understand how close you were to him, but honestly, you can be put to jail for carrying that around."

"I do whatever the fuck I want."

"And that is why you're moving out..." she finalized.

"Fine." I place my empty bowl on the table and stood up, "It's better for me anyways... I hate living with fuckin hypocrites..."

Mizki didn't say anything as I walked off to my room.

**END CHAPTER**

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><p>Chapter 4 Preview<p>

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><p>I could still hear giggling. I wretched my eyes open and I saw my sister Rin looking down at me.<p>

I blinked. Once. Twice.

That's when I noticed that she was looking at the erection I had and I quickly flip over.

"RIN! GET OUT!"

She laughed out loud as she left the room...


	4. Twins or Nothing

**Vocaloid POV:** Len Kagemine

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><p><strong>4th Song – Twins or Nothing<strong>

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><p><em>I was standing over her bed. She was naked under the sheets. Her teal eyes made contact with me. And she was smiling.<em>

_ Smiling._

_ Smiling the way she always does._

_ But I was mad. Frustrated even._

_ She wouldn't take me seriously._

_ "I love you Miku!" I cried. _

_ I felt so hot. Except on the inside. I pulled away the covers. _

_ She started giggling._

_ "Stop laughing," I cried, "I'm being serious!"_

_ I felt so hard, so frustrated._

_ "Stop it," I said, "Stop!"_

I could still hear giggling. I wretched my eyes open and I saw my sister Rin looking down at me.

I blinked. Once. Twice.

That's when I noticed that she was looking at the erection I had and I quickly flip over.

"RIN! GET OUT!"

She laughed out loud as she left the room.

Crap... it's not funny... it's not...

I squeeze my eyes shut as I give myself time to relax.

I hate these dreams. I've been getting them a lot lately. It's what you call "wet dreams" right? It used to be about random things, unrelated to sex even, but now they all seem to be about Miku...

I lay my head sidelong on my pillow.

I'm such a cherry boy... I don't know anything about sex, except for what I learned in heath class in middle school. I always avoided my friends when they invited me to watch porn in the basement of one of their houses.

Megurine-san says that it's a sign that I'll be decent man when I get older...

Well, I think it's just a sign that I'll be a dork loser in the near future...

Maybe I should just give in...

"Leeeen, it's okay..." I could her Rin shout from behind my door, "It looks like it's bigger than before. Maybe you grew some inches in the summer?"

"SHUT UP RIN!"

My face burns a furious color as I stuff it deep into my pillow.

I need to get out of bed. Today is Monday. I'll be late for school.

–

I'm fourteen years old, and so is my sister, Rin. We're twins, both freshmen at Vocal High School. Every morning we walk with Miku-chan. She lives in a big house across the street. Our house is pretty big too now that I think of it...

"Good morning Rin, Len!" I see Rin run up to her as I grip on the handle of my book bag I had slung over my shoulder.

"Good morning Miku!" Rin hugged her as they started to walk side-by-side with each other. Rin tugged her and whispered loudly in her ear. Loudly because I can still hear her.

"So did you meet him on Saturday?"

I saw her smile. It's not her usual smile. It's that soft smile, the kind that makes me blush.

I wish I can find the jerk that makes her feel that way. I wanna punch him in the face.

"Yes..."

"Did you tell him?" Rin tugged on the sleeve of her school uniform.

I saw Miku sigh heavily, "I couldn't say it. I wanted to... my mind was screaming on the inside. But still it wouldn't come out for some reason."

"Maybe that's a sign," I said.

Miku and Rin looked back at me. I know that my face was pretty serious because all light left her face as she looked at me confused.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that maybe you're not meant to be with him, that's why you couldn't say it..." I said.

Miku's eyes grew wide. She opened mouth a little like she was saying "oh" but without saying anything, "Do you think so?" Miku's voice was so soft when she talked. And it sounded so sad. I realized how selfish my statement was. And suddenly I felt like I was the jerk.

I walk up to her and tried to give her my best smile, "Hey! I'm just playing around! You don't have to take it so seriously. Come on now! You were just nervous that's all. Kinda like stage fright but without being on stage." I cheesed in a big grin and I saw that it worked.

Miku smiled back at me.

It was her usual smile. I felt like I failed.

"Thanks Len, but in a way, you might not be too far from the truth..."

What?

I gave her puzzled look and she just giggled. My sister looked just as confused.

"Perhaps I'm not meant to be with him... that's what a little voice in the back my mind tells me..." She placed her hands behind her back as she walked, "Because he's older than me. Because his life is so different than mine."

"Look..." Rin spat, "Did you find out how old he is? How can you judge if you don't know how old he is?"

I was still confused.

"Didn't he say that he was nineteen?" I blurted.

"That was what he told me. But one day, I saw him come out of a liquor store... I knew he was lying about his age for my sake. But I haven't confronted him about it..." Miku replied.

"Ooouuu, what's his name already?" whined Rin, "Please just tell me his name already!"

"I'm sorry Rin, I don't want you to know who he is. Because I know you'll shout him out on the street if you see him..."

I laughed because I knew that is exactly what Rin would do...

"No I won't!"

Miku and I just laughed.

–

We arrived to the school and I met Miki at the shoe locker. As I was taking off my sneakers, Miki placed a smiley sticker on my cheek.

"What the hell?"

"It's to put you in a good mood," she said.

Miki's a weird girl with long magenta-coloured hair and a flick sticking out that resembled a question mark. In middle school, some girls picked on her because a lot of boys used to think she was cute. Rin stood up for her and ever since then, she been hanging out with us.

"Mii-chan!" squeaked Rin as she huggled her.

Miki closed her eyes with a smile, "Hello Rin," she cooed.

I put on my school shoes and closed my locker, and all the while Rin clung on to Miki's arm and chatted nonstop. I just scoffed and shifted my bookbag over my shoulder.

"Oh yeah and this morning, Len..."

My ears immediately perked up as Rin started to whisper quietly into Miki's ear. Miki had her head tilted to the side in Rin's direction.

I dove in baseball slide style right in between them. I pushed my sister away to one side and Miki to another.

"What exactly are you telling her?" I exclaimed.

Rin is supposed to be my twin! We keep secrets about each other to ourselves. We are in tune to each other's feelings. She's practically like another side of me. We do everything together, say anything to each other. We're that close... but lately Rin is starting to betray that bond. How is she telling Miki something so private?

Rin just puffed her cheeks and avoided contact with my eyes.

"It's okay, it's normal," Miku spoke.

I turned around and looked at Miki. She had that all knowing look in her eyes.

I was too late. She already knew.

I felt my face heat up. Just right then, I dashed away from the shoe locker room down into the corridor.

Shit. Shit.. this is so embarrassing... and she sits in my classroom.. I don't think I can look at her in the eyes. No. Not when she knows... Oh god...

While running, I bumped into someone. I fell back and looked up. It was a rather agitated blonde who tied her long hair in a ponytail on the side of her head.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, short stuff!" she barked.

I stood up and clenched my teeth. I stepped up to her and she noticed that actually I was the one who was taller than her.

"Who are you calling short!" I barked.

"Holy crap! When did you get so big?" she exclaimed.

I back off from her confused, "Why do you talk like you know me?"

The blonde crossed her arms, "You used to go to that middle school near the apartment complex I live in. Usually saw I you hanging with your friends in front of the school gate. You were pretty popular with the girls in the area. The name's Akita Neru."

I felt flattered. I tried to play it off, but I ended up gushing and rubbing my finger under my nose. A habit I do whenever I feel bashful.

"I don't think I'm _that_ popular..."

"Of course you're not. You're a wimp, and now freshie.. you're in the big leagues," she grinned evilly.

"Che," I chucked my head up and gave her a condescending look, "Oh yeah? So what? I beat up the seniors that tried to pick on me at the start of this year. I'm seeing all there is to see!"

"Oooh wise guy eh? Well, this is just your first year anyways..." she turned and looked back, "See you around, short stuff..."

"I'm NOT short!"

I shouted after her. I huffed and it wasn't long before I heard the sound of footsteps catch up to to me.

"Len, I'm sorry..." Rin whined. She looked over my shoulder seeing the figure of Neru turn around the corner at the end of the hallway.

"Who was that?"

"Donno," I sighed, "Some stalker, I guess."

"Stalker?" Rin cried.

"What exactly did you tell Miki?" I whispered getting back to the subject.

"Only that you had a boner, that's all. But I promise I won't say anything else."

My face burned up to my ears, "Just don't talk about it, okay?"

Rin crossed her arms and tossed her head aside.

I already knew why she was upset.

"You never tell me what you're dreaming about..." She pouted

"It's stupid, Sis, honest. It's not worth your time..." I said with a wave of my hand.

"But if it happens often..." She began.

"It's a boy thing!" I cried.

"You promised that we wouldn't be like _boy_stuff and _girl_ stuff with each other! You promised that you'd tell me these kind of things, and that I would tell you mine! It's not fair, you're not keeping your promise."

"Oh really? Look whose talking?" I retorted, "Last week you was calling another one your friends and you were telling them, how annoying I am! You never came up to my face and told me how you felt. Or that time, when you slept over Miku-chan's house and spent all night reading boy magazines and talking about guy stuff behind my back!" I took a deep breath, "I don't know anything about you when it comes to guys! And over the summer, you've changed! It's like you're a different person now, all prissy and what not! It's almost like..."

Rin dropped her hands to her sides and looked so upset.

"...like, we're not twins anymore. Just brother and sister..." I finished.

Rin's bottom lip trembled.

To anyone else. What I said was probably not such a big deal. But to us, it's far worst than any vulgar terrible curse word. To say we were not twins, is to say that we were perfect strangers...

"Len... I'm sorry, Len," she squeaked.

I felt that voice stab my heart. But I didn't let my face show it.

"Whatever," I turned around, "Why don't you go and tell Miki, how sorry you are?"

Stop it, Len, I thought. You're not that mad at her... but she's going beg once more, right? So when she does, I'll hug her and tell her that I'm sorry too...

But I didn't hear her speak.

I turned back around and I saw her walk away... She's never done that before. I grew afraid. It felt like an icy hand just grabbed my heart in that instant. Rin was walking away. No, I can't let that happen...

I dashed and wrapped my hands around her from behind.

"Rin! Rin! Forgive me Rin! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it, I swear!"

She raised her hands and place them over mine that folded around her.

"No, I'm the one who should be saying sorry..."

I nudge my head into her neck, "Still, I'm sorry! I don't want us to drift apart. I'm afraid. And it's not just you, I'm changing too... It's all weird and I hate it..."

"I know you do, Len, I know..."

I rested my chin on her shoulder, "In a way... I wish we can stay as kids..."

"Would be nice, wouldn't it? But now you're taller than me..." She whispered.

I chuckled, "Only by an inch and a half!"

She chuckled too.

Just then, the bell rang.

"Darn it! We're late!" I cried.

Rin took my hand and laced her fingers with mine, "Come on, Len, lets go!"

I looked down at her and smiled, "Mmm!"

**END CHAPTER**

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><p>Chapter 5 Preview<p>

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><p>No... does she think he's cute too? Nah, I had dibs on him first!<p>

"He can help us find Piko..." I heard her whisper.

"Uh, wha? Miki, what are you doing? Don't—," I clung on to her sleeve but she pulled it off and stood up revealing herself from our hiding spot. I just sighed and stood up as well. I dusted off and adjusted my wrinkled clothes. I hope he doesn't find me too immature...

I see him look up from his music player and stared at us. He pull out an ear plug and raise a brow, "What are you two doing in there?"

Miki jumped at the opportunity to present her dilemma.

"Um! Um! Can you help us! I can't find my friend, and we walked to school together. I'm worried if something happened to him," She piped folding her hands together earnestly.

I saw the guy cross his leg over he threw his head up and looked at the sky.

"Lemme guess... short, white hair. Has one green eye, and one blue..."

"YES! Yes! That's him, that's Piko! Have you seen him?"


	5. Kawaii Cherries and Pink Samurais

**Vocaloid POV: **Rin Kagemine

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><p><strong>5th Song – Kawaii Cherries and Pink Samurais<strong>

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><p>I held his hand all the way to homeroom. It felt soft and warm just like it always feels. Occasionally he would look over to me, and I would just smile. I knew that after school we were going to sit together and talk.<p>

We will talk like old times. But this time it will be about the strange changes in our bodies and minds. About our feelings and fears. We will talk, not as children, but as developing adults.

The door to the homeroom slid open and our teacher looked up from his seating chart.

"You're late..." He said.

I saw my brother do a quick apologetic bow.

"Please forgive me, Sensei. It was my fault. I was talking to my sister and because of it we were late." he explained. I smiled, he can be so proper when he wants to. And on the other hand, he can easily turn into a rebellious brat...

"Oh you're twins?" He commented with interest as he adjusted his glasses.

We both smile at the same time and replied in unison.

"_Yup_!"

"Ah, here it is," the teacher pointed out in the chart, "Kagamine Rin and Kagamine Len," he raised his hand and pointed to chairs in the center row, "Have a seat right over there, please."

Len nodded and we both took our seats. Len sat next to Miki and I sat in front of him. I realized this after we were settled. I turn around and faced him, "Let's switch I wanna be next to, Miki!" I hissed in a low tone.

Len pointed to the front of the room.

When I looked, the teacher stood up and was getting ready to properly greet the class.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Hiyama Kiyoteru. I will be your homeroom teacher for these four years of high school." I rested my head in my palms and curled my lips in a smile.

He's really cute... I thought, and he looks quite young...

"I will be teaching Algebra I and II, as well as subbing for any other of the math teachers in this school," he turned around and started to write something on the board.

We will all take this time to get to know everyone here, so, I will start with myself.

He placed down the piece of chalk he held and cleared his throat.

"As I said, my name is Hiyama Kiyoteru. But you will call me Hiyama-sensei. I'm twenty-two years old, and this will be my first official year as a teacher," he chuckled a bit after he said so. "I enjoy teaching math, and I'm also a very good tutor. So in the future if any of you have trouble with anything, I will be glad to help."

Hiyama-sensei motioned his hand to the first person on the left row to begin with his introduction. While he did so, I quickly opened my notebook and scribbled a note on the corner page and ripped it out. I folded it neatly in square and wrote on top:

–

_Pass it to Miki_

–

I handed it down to Len and once he read the cover, he made a face and then passed it to Miki. Out of the corner of her eye I saw her open it. She looked at it and lifting her head, we made eye contact. She smiled, and I smiled back. If you're wondering the note I wrote to her said:

–

_Hiyama-sensei is smexy isn't he? I can't believe he's only 22!_

–

I saw her write a note and passed it over to Len. Len made another face where he curled his upper lip in a snarl. Gomen-nee baby brother, just give me the rest of this day, then I'll spill my guts out to you after school...

I smiled apologetically and took the note. I opened it:

–

_Rin, have you seen Piko? He has this homeroom, but he hasn't come in yet._

–

She drew a picture of a little cherry with a sad face at the bottom. Miki and her cherries. She loves drawing pictures of kawaii cherries all over her notebooks and folders... I looked at her and shook my head.

Piko or rather, Utatane Piko, is Miki's friend from elementary school. I personally don't know him that well. I just noticed that they spend a lot of time together. For sometime now, I even wanted to ask if she had feelings for him. The way she dotes after him, and acts when she's around him, expresses a deep intimacy. But I feel that I would just be barging in and being rude of I would just pop with such a question.

Miki raised her hand and Hiyama-sensei gave her a nod of acknowledgment.

"Can I use the bathroom?"

Hiyama-sensei raised his eyebrows, "Really? Homeroom just started."

"I know but, Sensei, I forgot to use the bathroom before I left home, and I really need to go..."

He sighed, "Alright... don't take too long."

Something didn't feel right. Miki for some reason was sure that Utatane-san was coming to school today...

"So do I!" I cried as soon as Miki left the room.

"I'm sorry but you have to wait until she comes back."

I slouched back in my chair.

"Nee, Sis, what's wrong?" I could feel Len lean forward in his desk.

"Miki went looking for Utatane-san..."

"You wanna go with her?"  
>"Yeah..." I replied.<p>

"Don't worry, I got it..."

"Len?"

I looked behind me and I saw that my brother raised his hand. When Hiyama-sensei picked on him, Len spoke.

"Please let my sister go to the bathroom,"

"Are you sure it's to the bathroom that she's going?" Hiyama-sensei gave us a look of disbelief.

"If she takes too long you can send me to go after her!" Len fiercely stood up, he glared at Hiyama-sensei, "I promise!"

All of the students in the class looked at him. And then they looked at the teacher. All that was left for me is to do is, to squirm cutely in my desk and say,

"Please, Hiyama-sensei... I really need to go..."

I saw him facepalm.

"Okay, alright, but please..."

"Thank you! I'll be right back!" I stood up and turned and leaned over to Len and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't get yourself in trouble okay?" he whispered, "Watch out for the hall monitors..."

"Okay I will.."

–

I walked in the direction of the bathroom carefully looking about for any sign of danger. I texted Miki to see where she was at. I quickly got a response. She wasn't too far from where I was. She ran up to me and took my hand.

Together we ran to the courtyard of the high school building. It was a little outdoor garden path that was in the center of the building structure. We sat behind a tree among bushes.

"Ah! My shirt," I whined as I dusted off leaves and snapped baby twigs.

"You didn't have to follow me, Rin," Miki insisted, "I don't want to you get in trouble."

I just grinned, "You know me! And if it gets too tough, I can always have Len bail us out."

I saw Miki frown, "You really need to stop taking advantage of him..."

"Poo! You don't understand us, it's a give and take, Miki. A give and take!" I explained, "So," I began getting back to the subject, "Does Utatane-san have a phone?"

"Yeah, I texted him but..."

"But what?" I pressed.

Just then we heard the sound of someone walking into the courtyard. Miki and I crouch lower behind the bushes we were in. My eyes slowly widened.

A guy with bubble gum pink hair and eyes of autumn yellow. Really tall, and walking in a very relaxed pace.

My god, he's so handsome...

He wore the school uniform in a very laid back style, no tie and a graphic tee underneath the unbuttoned blouse. He had large kerchiefs tied around his waist and small thin belts strapped on top of them. Hooked to one of the belts was a small katana. A wakizashi, to be exact. I only know the name of it because Len is crazy about that samurai stuff...

I practically held my breath and waited till he just passed by but he seemed to just sit on one of the small benches there and fiddle with his music player.

Ohhh kay... now what are we going to do?

I looked over to Miki and I saw she was staring at him.

No... does she think he's cute too? Nah, I had dibs on him first!

"He can help us find Piko..." I heard her whisper.

"Uh, wha? Miki, what are you doing? Don't—," I clung on to her sleeve but she pulled it off and stood up revealing herself from our hiding spot. I just sighed and stood up as well. I dusted off and adjusted my wrinkled clothes. I hope he doesn't find me too immature...

I see him look up from his music player and stared at us. He pull out an ear plug and raise a brow, "What are you two doing in there?"

Miki jumped at the opportunity to present her delimma.

"Um! Um! Can you help us! I can't find my friend, and we walked to school together. I'm worried if something happened to him," She piped folding her hands together earnestly.

I saw the guy cross his leg over he threw his head up and looked at the sky.

"Lemme guess... short, white hair. Has one green eye, and one blue..."

"YES! Yes! That's him, that's Piko! Have you seen him?"

After a moment of gazing into the sky, the guy looked back down at us and stood up. He took off his other ear plug and pocketed them along with his player.

"Saw him yesterday. Some kid in this school tried to rape him..."

Miki's hands flew to her mouth.

I put my hand on my hips, "You know that punk and you didn't do anything about it?"

I saw him roll his eyes. I'm starting to think this guy is a total dick-wad.

"Course I did something, look, I'll help you guys... but you gotta promise me that you'll help him stay outta these kinda situations..."

Miki fiddled with her fingers, "That's a pretty hard promise to keep..." she whispered.

I saw him lean down forward into her face, "Why? Aren't you his friend?" he asked flatly.

I saw Miki blush as she stepped back, "It's not that... It's just that Piko looks for trouble. It's hard to keep him away from it..."

I saw him scrunch up his face incredulously, "I find that hard to believe..." he muttered.

I was getting agitated.

"So are you going to do this or what? We gotta start by finding that punk, and pound the answers outta him!" I emphasized by pounding my fist into my palm.

Miki nervously laughed.

"Heh. You got spunk. Not bad..." He smirked a bit.

Uwah... he complimented me...

"My name is Kagamine Rin and this is my friend Furukawa Miki," I chirped feeling fuzzy on the inside.

"Just call me Yuuma..." he simply said.

Eeeeee~ such a sexy smile! I place my hands on my cheek and felt how hot they were getting. Omg, I need to try my best not to sound like a total spazz...

Miki's cellphone at that moment chimed. I looked at her anxiously as she checked it.

"It's Piko!" she piped.

Yuuma leaned over her shoulder from behind, "What does it say?"  
>"He's on the roof of the main building," she said.<p>

"Then let's go..." Yuuma replied quite causally as he turned around.

"You're still going with us?" I asked.

"Just to check. I did say I was gonna help you guys right? I don't go back on my word..."

And with that, Yuuma walk out ahead of us.

"He's like a modern day samurai..." Miki whispered. I just looked at her... something inside me said that there was a high probability she was going to be my rival. It kinda made me sad to think so...

–

Yuuma always walked ahead us... he seemed to know where all the hall monitors were at. He'd check every place until the coast was cleared. Then he would give the signal to cross. I check the time, there's not much until homeroom ends. I'm surprise that Len hasn't texted me yet.

We started to climb the stairwell that has access to the roof.

"Yuuma-san," I heard Miki speak, "What grade are you in?"  
>"Junior..." he muttered without looking back.<p>

"We're both freshmen," I piped.

"I figured..." he flatly replied.

I felt slapped for some reason. God what is with him? So rude sometimes! I feel like he's awesome yet at the same time there are moments when I want to pass him through a road roller...

Yuuma reached the door to the roof and opened it. He held it open for the both of us as we walked through.

It was the first time that I was on the roof. There was still a layer of snow from yesterday. I looked ahead and saw Utatane there. He has leaning against the railing looking into the view of the city. He little flick was waving in the brisk early winter wind.

Miki ran ahead of both of us, trying to jump over the lumps of snow. She tripped over a clump of snow and fell forward.

"Miki!" I cried.

I saw Utatane turn around to the sound of my voice and saw Miki picking herself up from the snow. His eyes widened as he ran to met her halfway. I saw that he had bruises under his blue eye his uniform looked tattered as if he had he gotten mixed up in a fight.

"Mii-chan," He cried softly getting down to her level, "Are you alright?"

"Uwah, Piko don't ever do that again!" she hugged him tightly.

He just softly smiled as he hugged her back and slowly closed his eyes, "I'm sorry, Miki..."

I smiled, in a way they reminded me of myself and Len. Yuuma who was standing behind me, walked forward.

"Hey kid, stop making her worry... You should of seen how stressed she was when she couldn't find you..."

Utatane, looked at him. His eyes seemed somewhat expressionless, "I knew you were lying..." there was heavy undertone to his voice.

I looked at Yuuma feeling a bit weirded out.

"Eh?" he replied.

"You don't carry that blade to kill people. You carry it to protect others," he insisted.

Yuuma scoffed, "It don't matter. I could kill to protect, I can kill to kill. Regardless a katana is a weapon to end human lives."

"But you haven't killed a human being with that blade..." Utatane replied.

"Piko, stop!" Miki shook his shoulders.

"Uwah?" Utatane blinked his voice and expression returning to a soft gentle tone, "I'm sorry, Miki," he said again.

"It's okay..." she looked at Yuuma, "I'm sorry, Yuuma-san. He sometimes gets like this."

"What do you mean by, _gets like this_?" he retorted.

We heard the distant sound of the bell echo from the open door of the roof.

"We've got to get back," I said, "We're already in big trouble as it is..."

I could hear Yuuma mutter under his breath as he turned around and walked away. I looked back at Miki and Piko.

I'm going to get Miki to tell me everything...

**END CHAPTER**

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><p>Chapter 6 Preview<p>

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><p>I slapped him.<p>

"You're a fuckin sadist..."

"And you're a masochist," I snapped back.

"Ah then it's perfect, we're meant for each other..." he smirked with his eyes closed.

"Kaito, snap out of it! This is not you!" I screamed.

"Can you just keep it down, just a little?" he weaseled, motioning his hand as emphasis, "I kinda have a headache that makes your voice sound like a tyrannosaurus rex..."


	6. Time Heals All

**Author Notes:**

* * *

><p>Saki Hatsune is a make up character I created only for this fic. She will be Miku's mother. I named her Saki after Fujita Saki who is the voice actress that sampled her voice for Miku herself. So in a way Saki really is Miku's mother. For appearance, just imagine an adult with Miku's similar appearance and the same hair color styled in a pixie cut. That's all, hope you all enjoy this update.<p>

- Zerolr -

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><p><strong>Vocaloid POV<strong> : Meiko Sakine

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><p><strong>6th Song - Time Heals All<strong>

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><p>I called out of work today, and I also called Al, Kaito's boss, to tell him that he wasn't going to his job either. I work at a talent agency pushing young people to become celebrities, idols and even talk show hosts. Kaito on the other hand, works as late-night radio DJ. He sometimes works until the early hours too, before the start of the morning show.<p>

I walked over to my room and opened the door. Kaito laid on my bed still sleeping in drunken stupor. It won't be long before he wakes up bitching about his headache. Ever since that Saturday night at the bar, Kaito's mood has hit an all time low. He just spent Sunday night drinking with Haku till the wee hours of the morning. She called me, to have him picked up because she could barely handle herself...

I walk over to the refrigerator and pull out a can of root beer soda. Resting my back against the refrigerator door. My mind replayed the events of that Saturday night...

* * *

><p><em>"I met with her today, to tell her that I didn't want to see her again... She was cold, and it started to snow, so I gave her my scarf..."<em>

_ I wasn't able to say anything... I just listened to him. His words were coming out in a wavering tone. If felt as if he was hauling something painful from inside of himself._

_ "She was upset," he muttered, "She said that I was important to her, she wondered if it was her fault..." His eyes grew glassy as tears flowed silently into the table's surface where his head rested, "I told her that I was going to text her... even though I don't ever plan on doing so... she looked so happy..." _

_ He rolled his head over so that his forehead was touching the table's surface, and started to cry. His chest heaved heavily, but the sound of sobbing was rather quiet but intense as the hand over the tabletop clenched into a fist._

_ "I want to talk to her, I want to..." he choked between sobs._

* * *

><p>I chugged down the drink, and threw it in the wastebasket on the other side of the room.<p>

I missed.

"Ughh... I'm gonna diiiie..." said a voice from my room.

I open the refrigerator again and pulled out a frozen gel ice pack. I took a kitchen towel and wrapped it around the ice pack.

"Ugghh... fuckin' kill me now..."

I push open the door and found him sitting up. He was leaning forward with both hands to his face. I got on the bed and crawled up to him.

"Get down," I commanded and pushed him back so that his head crashed back into the pillow. I was situated on top of him, and the place fell into a moment of silence.

"You know, this looks pretty suggestive," he mumbled. His eyes were half open and looked more miserable than pleased.

"Shut up," I said as I plopped the ice pack on his head, "If you can't handle alcohol so well, then you shouldn't drink."

"You shouldn't drink if you like to drink too much," he retorted.

I slapped him.

"You're a fuckin sadist..." he said.

"And you're a masochist," I snapped back.

"Ah then it's perfect, we're meant for each other..." he smirked with his eyes closed.

"Kaito, snap out of it! This is not you!" I screamed.

"Can you just keep it down, just a little?" he weaseled, motioning his hand as emphasis, "I kinda have a headache that makes your voice sound like a tyrannosaurus rex..."

"Ugh, you are such a jerk," I hissed. I got off of him and punched him in the gut

"Ouph! Oh God, I'm gonna die..." he groaned.

"I hope you do..." I rasped as I slammed the door behind me.

I walked over to a small room that was rarely visited, and opened the door to let myself in. I closed the door behind me. Then I pulled open the curtains to let the light of the morning sun be the only source of lighting.

It was a plain room with a tatami mat floor. At the end of the room was a black framed portrait place on a table surface. A shrine for my deceased husband. I calmly settled on my knees and took one of the incense sticks and lit a couple of them.

Kaito is my brother-in-law because I married his older brother Shion Taito. It was one of those really informal marriages in a little room with only just a handful of people. At my request, he let me keep my maiden name even after the marriage.

What I loved best about him was that. He was one of those people that didn't care about those little things. He would just let everything fly over his head, as long as he was happy with what he wanted, nothing else mattered. I missed it when it was just the three of us...

"... Taito..." I whispered, "You're brother's obsessed with a sixteen year old girl..." I sighed, "What am I going to do? What would you do?" I sadly smirked, "Probably beat him to a pulp, huh?" I looked down to the ground and fell into a tiny moment of silence, "You always knew how to set him straight... But you know, I've never seen him depressed like this before. He's never upset about anything... and even if he was, he would never outwardly expressed out how miserable he feels. I don't understand,"

I looked up at the portrait with longing, "Do you think he actually loves her?"

I sighed again, "Oh god... I wish you were here..." I cross my arms over myself, "Not that I've been feeble or weak without you... it's just... I miss being around you. But no... you always _love_ getting into trouble. Picking fights with the wrong people..."

I clenched my teeth, "Tch! You're an idiot just like your brother!"

My bottom lip trembled as it lean over and rest my arms on the little table in front of the portrait, "But I love you still, love you like crazy..."

–

After wards, I was back in the kitchen not sure if I wanted to start cooking or order out. I was feeling rather lazy and bit miserable. I considered calling one of my friends to hang out when I heard the door to my bedroom open.

Kaito scuffled out rubbing his hand over his face groaning.

It was the middle of the afternoon now.. seriously come on... it's not that hard to get over a hangover...

I sighed. I sat up and took my cellphone that was on the table. I started to go down to my contacts to find the person I was going to text.

Megurine Luka.

She's a woman I met like about a year ago at a formal party of business people, celebrities and whatnot. She works as a guardian for the only daughter of Hatsune Saki, a well known actress. I'm not sure what else she does for a living, but we met at the banquet table and from there we just hit it off. She a very respectable, dignified woman, with qualities you don't see in women nowadays. I easily related to her, and it wasn't long before became close friends.

…. Wait.

Oh shit.

I stood up abruptly, slamming the cellphone on the table. Kaito at this point was standing shirtless in front of the refrigerator looking into the freezer. He turned his head and looked at me at the moment of my sudden movement.

"Kaito...," I began, looking aimlessly ahead of me, "You mentioned that a woman, Megurine Luka was at the house of that girl, omg... Hatsune..." I placed my hand on my forehead just taking the sudden realization in.

"Yeah, I did. Why? Do you know her?" He asked as he eyed me strangely.

"Yes, of course, she's the friend I sometimes tell you about. The one with the male model boyfriend," I added.

"And... why do you realize this now?" He asked as he closed the freezer. Obviously, he didn't find the ice cream he was looking for. I never have any at my place.

I looked at him, "Uh, hello? I was drinking... I didn't properly connect the two until now with me thinking about it," I saw Kaito pull out a chair and sit down. He seem to contemplate a bit, so I kept talking.

"This Hatsune Miku is Hatsune's Saki's only daughter," I sat back down and made sure my eyes made contact with his, "Megurine Luka is her guardian and makes sure that she lives a calm and private life. Thanks to her, even though the media is aware that Mrs. Hatsune has a daughter, they don't really dig into the details of the girl's life. I didn't even know that her name was Miku..." I muttered still in a state of shock.

"Megurine never talks about her?" asked Kaito. He was just staring at the napkin holder on the center of the table.

"No, and nor do I inquire. It was never my business," I stated.

Kaito sighed.

"What's on your mind?" I blurted, "Just spill it."

He finally made eye contact with me.

"I'm sorry, Mei. I've been such an asshole to you... I wanna get back to my old self but somehow, I can't seem to put myself together."

I softly smiled and reached over placing my hand over his on the table, "I don't exactly get what's going on in your head, but nothing is too big to get over."

"Do you think it's just an infatuation or something?" he asked.

"Of course it is... besides you're to immature, no offense," I laughed, "You need someone that can take care of you... not the other way around," I suggested.

He sighed once more and fiddled with one of my business cards that laid scattered on the table.

My mind ran with ideas to improve the atmosphere, "Oh," I piped suddenly coming up with an idea, "Why don't you sing that song you always sing?" I grinned.

He looked at me trying remember what I was talking about.

"You know, the one that sounds like a happy song, but has terrible lyrics," I chimed, "You always sing it when you have a crappy day."

His face suddenly lit up. That made me smile. I wanted him back. Because I missed his old self.

He chuckled, "Only if you sing it with me," he laughed.

"Haha! Why not!" I cheesed.

–

Shine ba ii no ni,  
><em>I wish they'd just die,<em>

Shine ba ii no ni,  
><em>I wish they'd just die,<em>

Shinde shimae ba ii no ni,  
><em>I wish that they all just die,<em>

Shine ba ii no ni,  
><em>I wish they'd just die,<em>

Shine ba ii no ni,  
><em>I wish they'd just die,<em>

Dokoka tooi tokoro de,  
><em>I wish they'd just die,<em>

Shine ba ii no ni...  
><em>Somewhere far away...<em>

–

And so we sang, with Kaito taking the lead, and soon enough it was just him singing solo. Between words we would fall into bouts of giggles, not sure of what we found so funny. He took a wooden spoon from the kitchen counter after standing up and used it as his "mike." I would just burst out in laughter and it would only fuel more exaggerated gestures and antics to come out of him. His voice was deep, booming in an optimistic light, elevating my mood immensely. He has such a wonderful voice, filled with animation and energy.

It is an oddly stress relieving song, but one you would sing to yourself. Cuz, god forbid, if someone would hear you singing such a song, they'll think you've lost your mind.

But Kaito being Kaito, shamelessly sings it when the moment feels right, wherever he maybe. He has that reputation of being the playful idiot that suited him perfectly.

"Hey," I began after our moment of silliness was over, "I'm going to order out, go freshen up, put on a shirt, or something."

"Alright," he said as he started to walk out of the kitchen, "But don't worry about me," he added as he turned around at the entrance of the kitchen, "I'm going to leave after I dress up."

"Really? Stay for dinner! You've already spent all day here anyways." I insisted.

"No, I need to call Al, and explain why I've been avoiding his calls... I might come in and work night shift tonight, so I have to be ready just in case..." He laughed nervously.

"Oh alright, I suppose," I muttered.

"Aww... you're going to miss me, Mei?" he asked cutely.

"Shut the fuck up," I snarled.

He straighten up almost instantly and turned to leave the room. After he was gone, I burst into giggles. Seriously, he makes the stupidest faces...

–

Later on after Kaito left, I had ordered Thai food; Seafood curry with a side of rice. I was considering on getting _Kaeng phet pet yang,_which is roast duck in red curry. But I changed my mind considering that I wasn't in the mood of eating meat tonight.

While I poured myself a cup of wine, I called Luka up to chat.

"Hey, Luka, it's me Mei-chan," I began as I fiddled with the chopsticks.

"Ah Meiko, it's been a while. I missed you. We need to see each other soon." replied the warm tone on the other line.

"Same. Hey, I wanted to ask you before I chat endlessly... You've met Kaito right?"

"Yes... he's just as you described him. But less hysterical."

"Why haven't you told me? What do you mean by _hysterical?"_ I asked before I took a sip of wine.

"Well, because we haven't talked all this time, I've been meaning to call you and tell you. Ah well... when I say hysterical I mean, you know, rambunctious and idiotic. I don't think he's as silly as you have portrayed him to be, though he is very fun-loving. When I first met him, I had this image of what to expect from him that was different from what he actually was."

This confused me beyond belief.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's respectable and kind, gets into arguments with Gaku but it's usually in friendly debates, but he really isn't so much of an outward pervert but rather one that gets into the wrong situations... I keep a hawkeye on him regardless, whenever he's alone with the Mistress."

"You mean Miku-chan right?" I asked.

"Yes, Miku. Wait, has Shion said anything about her to you?"  
>"Only that he plans to stop physically seeing her," I added keeping the details to myself.<p>

"Has he told you why?"

"No."

"Hm... What do you think about it?"

"Donno..." I replied. I didn't want to confess my suspicions. It might make Kaito look bad in Luka's eyes. Since it seemed to me that, he has built such a nice rep with them, "Did you find out about that?"  
>"Yes... the Mistress told me personally. She seems very upset about it."<p>

"Upset in what way?" I asked.

"Are you presuming that maybe she might be infatuated with him?" Luka inquired.

"Well, yeah," I admitted, "Let's face it, Kaito's not that bad looking, you know?"

"He's actually very sexy,"

I was silent. I've never heard any one of my friends call him sexy in such a direct matter.

"You think so?" I blurted while I was poking the fish with one of the chopsticks.

"Oh yes, he has a flirty smile, and a nice voice. Well, of course I'm not comparing it to my Gaku's voice. He's in a different category all together..." she mused.

I just chuckled.

"You don't think he's sexy?" Luka questioned.

"Well, I've known him for years, since we were teens... so I guess I have the 'friendship glasses' on and really can't see him any other way. So the answer is no, I don't think he's sexy. The thought kinda makes me laugh, actually..."

"Mmm... that's interesting,"

"So, is Miku-chan crushing on him?" I pressed.

"I'm not sure. She usually forms attachments to people who are kind to her. She very close to Gaku for example. I often times have to pummel him when he takes advantage of her comfort level."

"Ugh men..." I groaned.

"Well... you can hate them, but in the end, you really can't do without their company you know?"

"Yeah..."

"She has his muffler since Saturday. She wants to give it back to him."

"I guessing she wants to do it in person."

"Correct."

"Well there's no way he's going to meet her, I'll tell you that." I assured.

"Are you sure? He very attached to it."

Luka was right. However, also I know about the sole drawer he has dedicated to his scarves. I wonder if he gave away the one he made himself.

Yes... he made a scarf. I'm telling you, this guy is so attached to scarves that he wears them all year around. Even in the summer. So then last year around this time, he decided to learn how to make one. He spent hours on internet, watching videos and bought himself needles, yarn, the whole nine...

I tell you, I didn't let him live it down. I kept trying to catch him in the act of fiddling with the needles and yarn on a sofa like a old lady. It was HIL-arious. In the end he holed himself up in his apartment every free time he had and even turned off his phone until he finished it.

It's his favorite among all of them.

"He has a ton of them, he can always replace it," I said confidently.

"But this one is the muffler he said he made himself."

Oh.

"How you know?" I asked.

"Well because he wouldn't shut up about it," Luka chuckled, "I remember that day, he spent the afternoon teaching Miku how to knit."

I remained silent thinking.

"Well, can talk more about this another day. I need to go downstairs and check on the laundry." Luka said.

"Ah well, yes. Sounds good. My food just got cold..."

"Oh I'm sorry about that," Luka apologized.

"Don't worry bout it. It's impossible to eat and talk the same time you know?"

"Mmm,"

"Well, talk to you later, Luka."

"Yes, same."

I closed the phone and slouched back in my chair, "God..." I mutter, "I hope Kaito gets over her... After all it is just some little obsession... it's not like he's capable of waiting two years until she's old enough... Ah and probably by then, she's would of found herself a boyfriend. She's in high school after all..."

Yeah... time, that's all there is to it, I thought. Just time and space. Kaito has probably made the smartest decision by creating distance between them. He must of started getting inappropriate feelings towards her, and made the distance.

I stood up and heated the curry up in the microwave.

And also in time... I hope to finally get over Taito's death... It's been three years after all...

**END CHAPTER**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7 Preview<p>

* * *

><p>Will be posting a preview soon.<p>

- Zerolr -


	7. Repressed Emotions

**Vocaloid POV**: Kaito Shion

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><p><strong>7th Song – Repressed Emotions<strong>

* * *

><p>I already knew, which made it even worse.<p>

It makes it all the more terrible.

Not only is there a ten year difference, she's the daughter of a well esteemed actress.

I sighed, as I entered the apartment.

Alone, in the simple arrangements that made my small bachelor pad, my mind thinks back to my behavior in the past two days. I sighed again as I walked towards the refrigerator. I decided to make myself some microwave dinner and afterwords, make some calls.

Allen is going to eat me alive...

Allen is my boss at the local radio station I work at. His DJ name is Big Al. He started off as a simple radio DJ and blew up in popularity doing his morning shows. He just had a way of talking, a practicality and a down to earth nature when he communicated to his listeners. But now he doesn't do talk shows as often, but he sometimes fills in. He's a very hard working guy I tell you.

But when he gets mad he's like a monster. Sigh, and the fact he has stitches right across his forehead doesn't help take away his intimidating image. I heard a story circulating the office saying that he got the stitches after surviving a motorcycle accident when he was sixteen.

I open the freezer and notice I only have half a carton of ice cream left. Damnit, I forgot that I needed to go buy more. I hate having my freezer without ice cream. I always make sure there is second carton for that reason.

I sit down on my sofa and pick up my cellphone. I took a deep breath and dialed the number. Allen picked up on the other side and sounded worried about me. I was surprised. I told him that everything was okay and asked him if he needed me to come. I nodded as he gave me the time I was coming in that night and went on to fill me in on the details.

After the phone call was over, I ate my cheap dinner and took another nap on the couch. It wasn't long before a loud knocking got me off my feet. I wake up and rub my eyes. I trudge towards the door and open it.

Kamui Gakupo stood at the entrance. His face looked serious as he stared at me. I smiled brightly.

"Bai bai!" I chimed happily and swung the door shut.

Gakupo stopped the door gripping it by the side before it met with the frame, leaving a tiny opening before it closed.

"Kaito, we need to talk," he urged through the view of the slit opening.

"Alright," I sighed as I swing it open. From what I can guess, Gakupo doesn't know about the pissy attitude I had for the past two days... What does he want to talk about? It is about that? Oh god, I just want to forget about it now. Why can't people get over it already? Is it such a crime that I started to fall for a young adolescent? I mean seriously, it's bad enough that I beat myself up for it. I don't need others to remind me...

"I've been trying to reach your phone, but you don't pick up," he let himself in and looked about. This would be his second time coming over to my apartment.

"I know, I was planning to call you back today," I said as I sat down on the sofa, "But I fell asleep," I looked around for the clock hanging on one of my walls, "What time is it?"  
>"It's ten-thirty," he replied calmly, "Do you need to go somewhere?" he asked.<p>

"Work," I replied easily, "But it's not until one-fourty-five,"

He sat on my small sofa chair with good posture as he just observed me keenly.

Gakupo had moments when he would be laid back and very obnoxious. But when he becomes serious about something, it was almost like that side of him never existed. And with the way he usually styles his long violet hair, it really makes him look like a samurai stuck in the wrong era.

He closed his eyes calmly as if he were formulating what he was going to say. Or how he would say them.

"Kaito, why did you attempt to shut the door in my face?"

I sighed, might as well be honest with the guy, "I have a feeling you're going talk to me about something I don't want to talk about."

"Does that something happen to be about the meeting you had with Miku-chan on Saturday?" he questioned very articulately.

"Yes," I reply with a nervous smile.

"Then you are correct," he replied with a smirk, "Now why wouldn't you want to talk about it?"

I just smile.

"What are you afraid of?"

I sighed again and leaned forward resting my hands on my knees averting my eyes, "Isn't it obvious?"

"No, it's not," He quickly answered, "Because I don't know what's more obvious to you... Miku having feelings for you OR you having feelings for Miku?"

I looked at him, feeling a bit startled. He suspects I have feelings for her? H-how would he notice? What would make him think so? The guilt of my feelings started to burn inside me.

"Why would it matter?" I said trying to play it off with a friendly shrug, "It's wrong either way. And you know that it's best to create distance before someone gets hurt," I reasoned.

"Well, since you seem very defensive, I will be more direct," Gakupo said quite flatly, "Just be aware that I'm not here to accuse you of anything. But to expose the truth behind this whole situation."

I just ran my fingers through my hair. I should just let him talk right? Just let him say what he has to say and then just play it off. Just smile and play it off as nothing. As a responsible adult watching for the welfare of a young adolescent. Yes, I want her to be with someone her age. I want her to live a happy life. I want her to not worry about the needs and wants of a mature man. To be able to live her youth. And I to carry out on my own. In the end that is what I want. These are just feelings. A set of urges that came from being with a person of the opposite sex.

She is beautiful, she is the daughter of a beautiful actress. Of course, the cause of my feelings is natural. But I have used my common sense to stop my instincts from getting the best of me. That's what I did. Because I am a responsible adult. Yes, that's all. It's no big deal. I shouldn't make this a big deal because it's not. Yes, yes. It's not something out of this world. This is something I can talk to Gakupo about. Because he can understand. And that I am getting over this and this is just something I can explain to him.

Because he must be confused. Of course he is. We've become friends. For me to just bail in that way with only telling Miku, it's understandable for him to be confused and desire to figure what was wrong..

I continued to run my fingers through my hair. And my mind circled in those thoughts.

"Kaito, I have this feeling that **you** are the one with strong feelings for her," Gakupo spoke his voice striking the air like daggers, "That scarf you let her borrow, you meant to give to her to keep,"

* * *

><p><em>The first that I made,<em>

_ A hand knitted muffler..._

_ How could I ever hand it over to you?_

* * *

><p>He continued to talk.<p>

" You started to fancy the thought of being with her. Of dating her... You... honestly in all honesty have fallen in love with her, haven't you?"

"You don't understand..." I growled. I felt my heartbeat quicken, "Can't you see you see the difference? A girl her age, honestly falls in love yes, but a man like me, different intentions are involved. In the end it just boils down to lust, sex, and desire. Listen to yourself! Listen to what you're saying! It's crazy," I exclaimed.

* * *

><p><em>By all means, I wasn't able to say...<em>

_ These feelings, I have repressed them._

_ I have already decided this earlier._

_ It's fine like this,_

_ Because I can't turn around..._

* * *

><p>"I hear myself perfectly," Gakupo calmly replied, "But are truly listening to yourself?" he asked, "Are you listening to what your heart is trying to tell you?"<p>

I lean back in to the sofa, I couldn't retort, I couldn't reply. I was shaking from the inside. I've never felt something like this before. It was like shaken bottled up soda threatening to just burst and pop and spill everywhere. These emotions just screaming the truth.

I love her.

I want to show her that I love her.

I want to tell her to keep that scarf that I once made for myself, because it's my favorite.

I want to tell her that the way she makes me feel is something I have never truly felt for any girl or any woman.

I want tell her the way she smiles brings life to mine.

It makes me not hate the world.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked Gakupo. My hand was covering my face as I spoke. Even though I wasn't looking I could still sense him observing me. I was wondering what he thought of me. I wondered how long had he known... how long had he been keeping this assumption. I wondered how he felt. I wondered what was going to happen next? I was afraid of what was going to happen next.

"I was lusting after her!" I blurted.

Gakupo looked startled.

"Okay, there I said it!" I sucked in a shaky breath, "You're just saying shit that's found in fairy tales and trashy chick lit novels!" I stood up and pointed to my door, "Get out! Okay, I don't want people waltzing in talking as if they know what's going through my head. You don't know me, got it!" I barked.

"You're making a **big** mistake, Shion Kaito," Gakupo confidently stood up, "You should at least honor the promise you made her..."

My eyes widened.

I saw Gakupo head towards the door and leave. When it shut it seemed to echo throughout the small apartment.

"Promise..." I whispered, "I... don't know... what I promised her..."

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 8 Preview<em>

* * *

><p>Gakupo told me how he felt about me. He told me how older men think. How that moment of drunk stupor what just that.<p>

A moment in drunken stupor.

My first love has died...


	8. Cantarella

**Vocaloid POV**: Miku Hatsune

* * *

><p><strong>8th Song - Cantarella<strong>

* * *

><p><em> In the next year, around this time,<em>

_ What kind of me will be here?_

_ What kind of you will be here?_

* * *

><p><em>I felt like I was choking on a leash.<em>

_ I wanted to breathe._

_ Running out in the brisk October night. Hollow's Eve. Children with their parents wandered in kawaii costumes. I walked past them, the tears stinging my eyes. I round a corner. I had no idea where I was going._

_ I wasn't allow to sing. _

_ My mother wanted me to succeed her as an actress. But I can't act. I seem to pull through with the lessons. I'm so-so, but not enough to be distinguished in the field. I wanted to sing. That's all I wanted. That's what I still want._

_ My notebooks are filled with lyrics, and words of poetic fancy._

_ I love to dance, the movements come without thought, my mind spins as the melody pushes me with its invisible magic. _

_ I wasn't allowed to dance._

_ The life of a musical artist called for a person to be placed on a pedestal. It meant for one to be analyzed. It wasn't a life meant for me. This is what she tells me. That is why it killed my father. The life of a musical artist killed him. The criticism. The paparazzi. The pressure of it all built and caused the suicide. _

_ She's sheltered me, kept me from prying eyes. From news articles, from cameras, from online blogs and the mouths, conversations of people. I am an invisible child that grows under large sheltering wings. A guardian is placed by my side to make sure that my security,that my privacy is always protected._

_ But I want to sing._

_ But I want to dance._

_ Why can't I be happy, why can't I let this go? _

_ I cry and the tears don't stop. Clutching my hands to my aching heart. I need to be happy and tear way this needless sadness. My mother is protecting me from the fate of my father. Why can't my heart accept this?_

_ A sound distracts me. I look and see a man tumbled over his own feet. He laid there looking towards me. Eyes lucid and bright from the alcohol pumped into his body. In the darkness cerulean blue illuminates._

_ I walk over to him, and my eyes are taken in by the handsome features._

_ "Are you okay?" I asked._

_ "...Why... are you... crying?"_

_ I knelt next to him, the smell of alcohol was present over him._

_ "I can't sing," I hopelessly, I needlessly tell him._

_ "Don't cry... sing if you want to sing..." he says._

_ "But I can't..." I say, "I am not allowed to..." I whisper._

_ "So... sing even louder ... to break those boundaries... song... music is a gift, comes from the soul... and your soul.. needs to sing..."_

_ My eyes widen and I start to smile._

_ "I want to make you a promise, okay?" he said._

_ "A promise?" I asked._

_ "Yes," he began, "A promise to stay at your side, and help you break those boundaries... I promise to make you sing..."_

_ I cover my mouth, utterly taken back by the words of this random stranger. It made me so happy to hear them. I saw him smile back to me when he saw my reaction. A smile that reached in and grabbed a hold on my heart..._

–

I've been thinking a lot. A lot about Kaito.

Two weeks have passed without being able to see him. I've sent him several texts. But eventually I stopped. I felt I was talking to the air.

Words refuse to flow from my pen into my notebooks.

I want to soak my consciousness in music.

Gakupo told me how he felt about me. He told me how older men think. How that moment of drunk stupor what just that.

A moment in drunken stupor.

My first love has died.

–

"Miiiiku?"

"Eh?" My mind snaps out of my thoughts to see Len waving his hand in front of my face.

"Are you okay?" he asks me.

Len, Rin and I are part of the Drama club here in the high school. It's a week before the Christmas holiday break and we are assigned to come up with a skit to perform for the Holiday Concert before New Years Eve. It's going to be held here in the school audition. The club will do three skits in general, each will be no longer than fifteen to thirty minutes.

"I'm fine," I say smiling, "I was just daydreaming again."

Len pouts, "You don't have to act like everything is okay, you know..." he adds.

"Oh..." I look at him and then my eyes soften, "Nothing really slips past you, huh?" I smile weakly, "But I do feel much better about it though..."

I could see his face light up, "Really?" he asks, "That's good," he cheesed.

"Come on you guys!" I hear Rin squeak, "Let's put some ideas on the table," she pressed, "The other two groups got something going on, but we've got nothing!"

It was true. Each of the three skits were split among three groups of students within the club. Our group consists of the bad lemons out of the entire club. Most of the members working with us were just painting their nails and reading magazines. The three of us are the only ones that were actually working the project.

"Okay," Len spoke up, "Let's think of it this way..." he began pulling out a notebook and turning to a blank page, "What are your favorite genres to work with? We can put it all together and a story for the skit will come out easier."

"That's a great idea Len!" Rin chimed, "There has to be romance," she piped, "It's universal!"

I giggled.

"Well," I began with a smile, "Okay, um, how about we incorporate music in some way?"

Len smiled, "Yeah, sounds good,"

I smiled back at him.

"What about you Len? Although I don't think I have to ask," Rin flashed her brother a devilish look.

Len started blushing, "Shut up, Rin!"

"What is it?" I asked feeling a bit lost. Often hanging out with them, I usually would feel like the third wheel. They both share so many inside jokes, comments and ticks that all of it combined would form their own language.

Rin smiled at me as she proceeded to explain.

"Len likes tragedies."

"There is nothing wrong with liking tragedies!" Len barked.

"His favorite kids movie is the _Lion King_ because Mufasa died saving his son Simba," Rin started to giggle as I saw Len's face burn up in embarrassment, "He was all ballin' like a baby when Mufasa's all like '_Remember_' in the clouds and stuff."

I was expecting Len to just burst out in anger, instead he tucked his chin up and gave his sister a very condescending look, "_Rin..._ do you really wanna take it that way? I can tell Miku some pretty embarrassing stuff about you too..."

"Okay, okay..." Rin nervously laughed, "Point is, Len loves stories with sad or melancholy endings. It's a big plus if the protagonist dies in some sort of way.."

"The protagonist doesn't have to die!" he protested.

"BUT, I noticed that the stories you liked best are when the main character dies." Rin insisted.

"Really?" Len questioned more curiously.

"Yup!" She piped.

"So you must like Romeo and Juliet, right?" I say, "I know it's such an overused story, but it's my favorite." I added.

"I **love** Romeo and Juliet," he said with a bright smile. His light blue eyes lingered in mine for a moment as his smile softened.

He's gotten so much older. Especially during the summer... I remember when they moved into the large house across the street nine years ago. I was seven years old. One day I sent my kickball over the large iron fence. I somehow snuck inside and found myself in a garden of pale yellow roses.

I looked about and as I turned around a bush, the first thing a saw was a five year old boy holding on to my kickball. The most striking image from that memory was those sky blue eyes...

Rin cleared her throat. Both Len and I jolted in our seats.

"Okay," Rin snatched Len's notebook and started to scribble with her cutesy teddy bear pen.

"Hey!" Len barked.

Rin easily ignored him, "We have romance, tragedy, and music. It's the holiday season so, we're going to include angels in the concept somewhere," she said matter-of-factly.

"Angels, yes that's makes sense because they like to sing!" I piped.

"Well... that's not why I thought—but that too!" said Rin.

I sighed and hung my head.

Len just sat and looked like he was in deep thought.

"Spill it Len, it looks like you thinking of something good!" Rin sneered, her grin was starting to look like a Cheshire cat.

"Ah—no! It's nothing, just have some ideas so far..." he just gave Rin a look.

"Okay fine," she passed Len back his notebook. She returned his look with hers.

I just sigh as I look at my phone. It was getting late. I look around and noticed that most of the people from the club already left.

"We better wrap this up," I said. I notice that Len was scribbling away. He must have started some kind of idea for the story.

"Okay, sure!" Rin replied looking up to me, "You can go ahead and leave, we'll just stay here and work on this some more..."

"Are you sure?" I asked. I didn't want to leave them with the majority of the work. If there was anything I could do, I wanted to help with it.

"Nope, we're good," Len looked up at me from his writing, "Go ahead, it won't be that long anyway."

"Okay," I nodded, "Do you want to walk home with me today? I can wait for you guys," I asked.

"Well..." began Rin, "I actually wanted to go downtown and do some last minute Christmas shopping. You can join us, if you want." she chimed.

"I'll pass..." I sighed, "But have fun," I wave over to them as I left the clubroom.

–

I've been thinking a lot. A lot about Kaito.

Why couldn't he tell me the truth? Why couldn't he tell me the reason why he wanted to stop seeing me? If it was so called the "adult way" of doing so, why couldn't he tell me about it?

My heart isn't made of glass.

Yes, it hurts.

And it hurts even more, knowing that he couldn't say it to my face. Instead he just smiled at me. Acting like we'll see each other again one day. What a coward.

His scarf is sitting on my vanity desk in my bedroom...

I want to give it back to him.

In person.

After all, it doesn't belong to me.

–

As I walk down the empty halls of the school, I dig into my tote bag and pull out the ear plugs of my player and put it on. The sound of music flowed into my ears as I walked down the hallway. I closed my eyes and the music painted a scenery, opening my eyes, the halls were that of a luxurious European mansion.

I was wearing a long dark blue gown. I twirled around in circles letting the sound of fiddling violins fill my ears. Candle holders hung unlit on the walls as the colors from the stain glass windows cast the white walls in shades of wine.

In the mist of my dancing I see a person at the end of the hallway. A handsome man, hair of blue cerulean, with eyes of dark sapphire. He darkly smiles, his face well hidden in masquerade. A dark cape flows behind him, as his hand holds down the angular hat. I catch his intense stare and he begins to approach. His tall frame caused the long legs to sweep in wide strides.

The mask, the cape, it symbolized secrecy and mystery. I've grown to know Kaito from the few weeks we've spent together, but at the same time, he was the complete mystery that captivated me.

A Zorro clad in black.

He approaches me and I fall within his arms, I reach for his mask and he grabs my wrist. He places a single finger to his lips with his free hand. Irritated, I wrench my hand away and shove him against the wall.

He doesn't look surprised as I feel the penetrating gaze violate me. I slap him. I tried to hit him again. He grabs my arm. I struggle as his other hand reaches for my face.

Just then, left ear plug is wretched from my ear as I see Yamaha-san staring at me as if I have spring onions sprouting from my ears.

The illusion the music cast is gone. And I realize that I had actually involved another person in my daydreaming.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed, "Why did you just slap me?"

I back off and took out the other plug, turn off the player and put it way. "I am truly, truly sorry!" I cried bowing in front of him three times in succession, "I'm really sorry, Yamaha-san! Please forgive me!"

I've never been so embarrassed in my whole life. I wanted to shrivel up, disappear, anything. This was so embarrassing! Oh my god!

"It's alright, no need for all that," he said rubbing the back of his pink hair.

"I will just go now," I weakly piped. I turned and started walking down the hallway.

"Hey," he called, "Hey! Miku!"

I immediately turned around. I wasn't used to classmates calling me by my first name besides the twins. I see that he giving me an odd look.

"Do you imagine things when you listen to music?"

I look away as my finger scratches my cheek, "Eh... uh yeah. I kinda go off in my own world. Sorry about that."

"Tch, you already apologized." he scolded, "What song was that?" he asked as he approached me.

"Oh, it's nothing, I don't think you would like it." I replied feeling embarassed.

"Let me be the judge of that," he pressed.

I pull out my player and showed him. I let him him take it from my hand, and he started to scroll down to see what else I had. For some reason it felt like I was being stripped naked and stared at.

"Not bad, you got an interesting variety of music here... Oh you have this song? I like it too. It's actually my favorite band." Yamaha added.

"Really?" I chirped feeling relieved.

We both started walking out of the building together, chatting endlessly about music and songs. We reached outside of the school yard and had completely washed over the worries I had earlier.

"It's amazing how I've never got to know you even though we share the same homeroom for three years."

"Well, it doesn't surprise me," he blurted as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, "I don't talk to anybody and I usually sit at the back of the classroom. You sit in the front and have a whole bunch of girls sit around you. And that Teto chick has a habit of taking one of your pigtails and making braids out of it."

I blushed. Somehow I could imagine his nonchalant stare that would watch me during those homeroom mornings. It was more of a blush out of weird embarrassment, "Why don't you have friends?" I asked.

To this, he just shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll be your friend, Yamaha-san," I said. He was a friendly guy even though he looked a little gruff. And he was honest. Honest to a fault. It was better to be this way then smiley and kind and then turn out to be a total fraud in the end...

"Don't say it if it's out of pity. I don't need it," he blurted as he started walking off ahead.

I reached out for the hand hanging at his side and grabbed it, "No," I said in attempt to explain, "It's not out of pity, I _want_ to be friends with you," I insisted.

He stopped and looked at the hand that held his. Then, he looked up to me.

It was such an awkward moment, I suddenly dropped the hold on his hand as if I've just burned my fingers.

He then raised his hand to scratched the back of his head, "I guess, if you're the one that wants to." I noticed that his face slightly reddened.

I smile, "Yup! I can introduce you to Rin and Len. They're good friends of mine," I added.

"I met them already," he said blankly as he started to walk again.

"Really? When?" I inquire as I paced up to keep up with his wide strides. He was incredibly tall.

"Some time ago. I met Rin. Her brother is a twin right, Len?"

"Yeah. They are both very close to each other," I sigh, "I wish I had a sibling."

He looked down over at me, "You don't have any?"

"No, I'm a single child," I look ahead in the road, "It gets lonely sometimes, but I learn to manage."

"Trust me, sometimes it's better to be like that... I have a sister, she's a pain in the ass..."

"Really?"

"Yeah..."

"Hey? Um, do you want to go to a record store tomorrow?" I asked. Since he wasn't used to having friends, I figured I could ask him out.

"Which one?" He asked. His hands were both stuffed in his pockets.

I think for a moment, "How about the one next to the coffee shop on fifth avenue?"

He kicks a rock on the sidewalk as he mulled over my question for that tiny moment.

"Alright," he said simply.

"Sounds great," I chimed. I skip ahead over cracks on the sidewalk, as the wind whipped up my hair, "Ugh, it's so cold isn't it?" I added as I turned around.

"Yeah, it's like this ever since it fuckin' snowed," he growled.

"Where do you live, Yahama-san?" I asked. I wanted to know because it was getting to part of the road where I usually split and take the path to the upscale neighborhood.

"Somewhere near downtown next to the middle school." He replied, "You?"

"I turn up right here," I pointed to the road to my right as we approach the corner.

"You live up in the nice parts, I guess..." he replied quite casually.

"Yeah," I replied putting my hands behind me while I wring my fingers. I usually get uncomfortable when it comes to talking about my wealth. I always wanted to be seen as the same as everybody, but often when I do that people would call me conceited, and two-face. It's just an awkward position to be in.

He pouted in thought and then spoke, "I've always wondered, are you related to the movie actress Hatsune Saki?"

I pondered on answering this truthfully or not. In the end I decided to risk it, "Yes... she's my mother. Do I look like her?"

"A little," he admitted, "But you act lot more like your father," He stepped off the curb to start crossing the street, "See ya around," he said just glancing back. His eyes glint with a sense of mischief.

I just grinned, "Sure!"

"And one more thing, don't call me Yahama-san... it's just Yuuma. I don't need all that," he said waving off his hand in disgust.

I couldn't help but laugh; he was so informal, "Ah, but it's Yahama like the pop idol Mizki Yahama, eh?" I say as a joke. Because I know people with that surname. It's pretty common around these parts.

"Yeah, that's why I hate it. That's my sister," he replied with a scowl.  
>The smile was immediately wiped off my face. Brother? There was never no mention that she ever had a brother. She even said herself on talk shows on how lonely it was sometimes to be a single child.<p>

I liked her, I liked her music. When the topic of her music came up, he was so-so. I didn't hear hate or anything from his voice except for now. But her brother? He was sheltered, wasn't he? Hidden from it all, wasn't he? And he holds resentment for it? I wonder if that would be the reason, if it was so? But it's not safe to assume, I don't want to assume...

"Yuuma? Did you grow up with her?" I asked. I covered my mouth just as I said it. How rude. Like he would answer that question. It's personal.

His covered his face with his hand, "Ugh.. you know what? Forget I ever said it,"

I looked straight at him.

"Forget I said it, and that you asked me..." He turned around and crossed the street.

–

People expect perfections to grace the magazines and television screens. They watch cautiously for any blimps and any sign of weakness and ready themselves with anything to record with.

To tell.

To gossip.

To show off.

To use it to hide their own imperfections, or blow off money for another person's expense.

This desire, this sport, causes people of the limelight to develop double lives.

But there are people that suffer the price of that celebrity's double life. For the celebrity to achieve the peace of appearing perfect. For that peace, there is the one or some that hold on to the ugly face of that celebrity's life.

I wouldn't say that would be my position, but I have heard many stories from my mother. That's why I say, that in spite of everything, I am lucky.

But I have a feeling, he isn't so lucky.

**END CHAPTER**

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Notes<strong>

* * *

><p>Few things really quick. I wanted to mention that "Cantarella" is my first vocaloid video. Therefore explaining why I am such huge Kaito fan. Next, I am introducing a new POV therefore a new main character to this story. It's SF-A2 Miki. I need her eyes to expand on the most controversial plot twists presented in this story. Her POV is the next chapter.<p>

Lastly. I originally didn't want to include Gumi because for some reason, I can't pin Gumi's personality enough to write in a story. But as I'm planning this story I'm reaching out for more vocaloids to fill scenes. So, please if you can, and happen to know Gumi well enough, explain her to me in a review. Is she cutesy, or spunky? Tomboyish or just a flirty girl with boyish charm? Is she weird or just spontaneous? I'm pretty much at a loss.. I looked up things on the internet but I don't get enough info there was one point that I read a description that just said, "Gumi is just... Gumi"

What does that mean? Arghh! *headdesks*

* * *

><p>Chapter 9 Preview<p>

* * *

><p>Piko is a person with two identities; One is of a tender compassionate boy and the other, a destructive self-centered person. But this wasn't always the case...<p> 


	9. Psychopathy

**Vocaloid POV**: Miki Furukawa (SF-A2 Miki)

* * *

><p><strong>9th Song – Psychopathy<strong>

* * *

><p>"I thought that I was the only one... but he understands me. Now you don't have to worry anymore, Miki," He looked back at me, his eyes mournful.<p>

"Piko!"

Piko walked up to a hooded man whose sinister smile is barely visible from the shaded face.

"I'm sorry, I know, that I've been nothing but a burden to you..." he said.

We were inside an old junkyard in the interior of the city. He had led me here so he can introduce me to somebody. To tell me something that he's been keeping to himself for a while. To tell me something that he has decided to do...

* * *

><p>Insanity.<p>

The loss of self.

A disconnection from reality and the imagination.

The human mind cannot withstand large amounts of pain. It desperately breaks down finding ways to cope. Hallucinations, different selves, creating a universe all on it's own. A place where such pain ceases to exist.

Bringing the mind to come back to its original state is impossible. To tell the mind that it's okay, that pain won't ever come again is impossible. It returns to hide behind its large fortress of maze mirrors. Casting its illusions and multiple selves distracting others from its true misery, from its true face...

–

"_That's a pretty hard promise to keep..." _

–

"_Why? Aren't you his friend?"_

–

For some reason, Yuuma-san's question from that one day, kept haunting me. It kept eating at me. Why couldn't I say, yes? Say yes and just keep my feelings to myself. Instead I spilled out my insecurity. That question still bugs me...

Yes, I am.

I am his friend.

What am I suppose to do? I'm at a loss at what to do...

–

Piko is a person with two identities; One is of a tender compassionate boy and the other, a destructive self-centered person. But this wasn't always the case...

I first met him at a beauty pageant when I was seven years old. Let me explain. I'm the only child and so Papa always carries baby pictures of me to gush over with his co-workers. He irritated them so much that one day, they made a bet. If he placed me in a pageant and didn't win first place, then he is isn't allowed to gush about me to them at work.

My papa was so confident that I would win, that he convinced Mama who is against pageants to do it as a one time deal. It was a natural beauty pageant. That meant that it was based with no make up, and it was locally in the city. So my parents got me a pretty dress and back stage, I met with every one there. I quickly made friends with everyone because I was energetic and was kind of a chatterbox back then.

The was one "girl" that sat in the background. She was dressed in simple elegant gown with blue eyes and silvery white hair. I went up to her and talked to her. She was kind and spoke in a very soft voice and told me that she liked my hair flick because it kinda looked like hers. She said her name was Pika and that she hoped that I would win.

But she won. I came in third place.

The next time I saw her was when I was ten years old in the fifth grade. Or rather someone that looked like her. A boy named Piko with green eyes. We had the same class. He slouched in his chair and threw spit balls at people. Bullies picked on him because he was short and looked kinda girly, but he never let that get to him. Instead he loved to get back at them with his own pranks and devices.

He always messed around with all kinds of tech and was rarely seen without his PSP. I noticed that whenever I tried to come up and talk to him, he would walk away. As if he was trying to avoid me. However, one day I saw him when I was walking home from school and I chased him to an abandoned park. At that point he stopped and turned around to face me.

"What's with you? Are you some stalker?" he asked.

"Well, I've been wanting to talk you, but you're always running way from me!" I whined, "Do I look scary to you?"

He pouted and looked aside. He looked little embarrassed, "No..."

"I think I met your sister," I said, "Her name is Pika."

He stopped and stared at me, "What about her?" he asked. His voice was steady and rather serious.

"I just thought that you should know that..." I piped, "Jeez... I hoped that I can meet her again, but forget it..." I turned around and started to leave.

"Would you have wanted to talk to me if you had never met her?"

I stopped and turned around. I looked at him and smiled, "Sure! You're a bit troublesome, but I kinda get into trouble too... but mostly for my big mouth," I giggled.

In that moment Piko blushed and looked towards the ground. His furrowed his brows and then looked up to me once more as if deciding something, "You wanna know a secret?"

My eyes go wide, and then I nodded eagerly.

"Then follow me, I can't say it here..." he replied and ran deeper into the park.

I followed him to the park's obstacle course, Piko climbed the ladder and entered into a tube and I sat next to him. In such small cramped space we were rather close to each other.

He smelled like strawberries.

He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out an eye contact case and opened it. He went for his eye. I stared as I saw him removed a contact lens from his left eye. It was then I saw that the color underneath it was blue. His eyes had two colors; the right eye was green and the left was blue.

"Pika doesn't exist," he explained, "She is my stillborn twin sister..." He closed the cap on the contact case, "My parents hate me, because I killed her when I was being born... Because of that I have to live the life Pika could never live because of me..."

"Eh? Wait, let me understand," I blurted placing a hand under my chin, "That was you at the beauty pageant, three years ago?"

He smirked, "Yeah, I have two contacts lens," he said opening the second lid.

I looked inside, I saw the second cup contained a blue contact lens. After I stared at it he closed the cap and placed the case in his pocket.

"Whenever I _play_ my sister, I have blue eyes. When I become myself, I have green eyes," he explained.

"But you actually have two eye colors?" I asked.

"Yup, I do," he answered, "But no one knows about this except for you. Everyone, even the grown ups think that I have a sister," Piko looked at me seriously in the eyes, "Don't tell anyone about this, okay? This is our secret."

I nodded eagerly, "Yup! No worries. I may talk a lot but I know how to keep a secret," I chirped.

"You're cute," he said suddenly.

"Huh?"

Piko slipped out of the tube and ran out before I even said anything.

"Hey!" I shouted.

"Why don't you try and catch me!" he shouted. He was at the foot of the slide already, and started to run for the small river that was ahead of the obstacle course.

The Piko with the "green eyes" was actually the real Piko. We hung out together everyday after that. He let me borrow his PSP games and we would have wireless battles together. Everyday he would tell me about his double life. About how all the stress of living up to his parents expectations was killing him. He told me because he had no one else to tell.

His parents hated his real self.

They constantly told him how they wished he never existed. They constantly blamed her death on him. Reminded him of the sin he had to live with. He told me how much he despised having to dress up as a girl. How he had to suck up his tendencies to act completely poised and girly. They placed him in pageants to teach him how to properly act like a girl. And he did it all. Perfectly to the T. Yet they still hated him. They hated him the moment he stopped acting as Pika.

As time when on, they began to limit more and more on the boyish things he liked. They took away all of his fighting and RPG games. Even the boy clothes he wore started to be in girl colors. The boys picked on him more. And I started to notice that he stopped fighting back. I would try my best to defend him. But it was no use. I was a girl. A girl standing up for a guy makes a guy look pathetic...

Piko told me that sometimes he felt that maybe his sister, Pika actually lived inside him. That perhaps that was the reason why his one eye was blue. He said that before he would change, all he would do was close his eyes and envision her. He said that at times she would even appear in his dreams...

It was raining one day on the weekend and there was a knock on my door. It was Piko. He was soaked and he was crying. I hugged him and took him inside. I snuck him upstairs and locked the door to my room. When Mama asked, I told her it was one of my friends.

I gave Piko one of my dad's t-shirts and shorts and he sat on my fuzzy rug in my room. He had calmed down and was quiet. I sat down in front of him and handed over a small bag of gummi cherry candies.

"Here, don't be sad. You can be yourself here."

"They're going to send me to a doctor."

"Mm?" I tilted my head to the side, "Why? Are you sick?" I asked.

He looked up at me, his face wrought in distress. I saw that he wore no contacts, "They're going to turn me into a girl! They're going to chop off my dick and turn me into a girl!" He covered his mouth and started to shake. Tears silently streamed from his eyes as he muffled his crying.

I dropped the bowl and my vision wavered.

"I ran away as fast as I could. My parents are crazy... I can't do this any more. I can't do this.." He ran his fingers through his hair, "Did you know that I can hear her voice now? Pika's voice it's in my head..." he said. His voice was shaky as he spoke.

"Piko..." I whispered.

"Mii-chan," He begged, "Please, tell me that everything is going to be okay, please tell me..." he whimpered.

But I was scared. I was so, so scared.

"We have to tell someone..." I said, "You can tell the guidance counselor at school,"

"No..." he said clenching his hands into fist on his lap, "We can't tell anybody, I'll get in trouble. We can't," he whispered nervously.

"But we have too!" I shouted, "We have too! I can tell Papa, he'll know what to do!"

Just then, there was a knock on my door. It was my mother.

"Oh...," she looked at Piko noticing the clothes he was wearing.

"Piko got wet in the rain so, I gave him Papa's clothes," I explained.

"I see... Piko come downstairs. Someone came to pick you up."

"Thank you, I'll be downstairs soon," he said in a soft voice.

I looked at him. He said it in Pika's voice. But of course Mama didn't really noticed. She left and the room went quiet.

"What are we going to do?" I asked him. It was so sad. He was the one who was supposed to be asking that question to me...

"I'm sorry Miki... I didn't mean to cause you trouble..." his tone remained in that soft voice. He stood up in a very demure matter, "Don't worry about anything. I'm sure everything in the end will be alright," He started to walk towards the door.

"Piko," I grabbed his wrist and he looked back at me.

He just looked at me and smiled.

My hand's grip slipped slowly. I saw him walk out the door. I follow and stand at the top of the steps. Piko just walked downstairs.

There was a man standing at the doorway. Short white hair slicked back in a businessman like style. He looked angry, yet was polite to my mother. He must be Piko's father.

"My deepest apologizes," he said to Mama.

"Oh it's alright, Piko is a good friend to Miki," she said.

Piko had his head down as he walked out. The man shortly bowed to my mother and walked away.

I couldn't take it anymore.

After they were gone, I ran downstairs and told my parents everything. I should have told them sooner. Much sooner. They were both in a state of shock.

Papa was first person to react.

"I'm calling child protective services," He muttered, "This is insane!"

Eventually, because of Papa, they took Piko away from his parents. In the last moments with his father, he was beat by him.

I went to the hospital with Papa to see him. When I entered the room, he looked at me. Papa went up to him and patted his head. He flinched. I told Papa that I wanted to be alone. He looked at me and nodded.

I walked up to him and pulled a chair to sit near him. He had bandages around his head and a gauze pad on his check. He had more bandages here and there over the rest of his body as well.

"Everything is going to be okay," I said.

"It's all my fault..." he whispered, "It's my fault because I killed her..." His eyes looked so lifeless.

"No!" I rebuked, "Papa said that it wasn't your fault Pika died. It's not your fault, because you were innocent. It's just something that happened!" I cling on to his hand.

"But she's going to protect me now. She said it's going to be okay now..."

"What do you mean, Piko?" I asked, "She's not real."

"She is!" he snapped, "She is... she's here," he pointed to himself, "She's inside me now... She said that everything is going to be okay now..." He squeezed my hand, "You believe me right?" He asked.

I just remained silent and looked at him. I didn't want to feed his fantasy. But I didn't want to deny it either. I wasn't sure on how he was going to react.

He started looking at me desperately, "You don't believe me? Miki-chan, are you going to leave and never come back?"

I reached over and hugged him, "Silly, don't ever ask those kinds of questions again. I like you. I promise that I'm never going to leave you. Piko, you are my best friend,"

His arms clung on me and he hugged me tightly in return.

He smelled like blood and medicine.

My tears wet his clothes.

"Miki don't cry," he said as he let go of me.

I wiped my tears and tried to smile.

"I am going to take good care of him..." he said.

I saw how his face had changed. The switch was more obvious. It wasn't acting. It looked as if it really was his sister.

"Pika...?" I carefully asked.

He closed his eyes and smiled once more, "Call me Piko. It will be easier and cause less problems for my brother," he took my hand this time and softly looked into my eyes, "You were the only one who was there for him. You don't have to worry about protecting him anymore. There really is nothing you can do for him. I will watch over him now."

"I don't want to talk to you, I want to talk to Piko!" I protested.

"I'm sorry, but it is better this way. I need to make sure he's safe."

"But I'd rather talk to him, I'd rather talk to him instead!" I insisted.

"He's tired now, but he will talk to you another time," he said.

After the hospital, Piko started to receive psychiatric help. It was pretty rocky at first, I guess since it was because they wanted to force him to abandon the concept that Pika ever existed. Papa helped me come in contact with his therapist. The therapist wouldn't tell me the details, but he was kind enough to update me in general terms since he learned that I was Piko's close friend.

Piko was slowly getting better. They decided at the eager request of Piko's mother, that they should meet. But that was a mistake.

I was informed that day he had a mental break down. He was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. He was put on medication. I went to see him. My father was in the same room when I saw him. Papa didn't trust me to be alone with him anymore.

It was confusing, because it didn't seem that Pika was there anymore. But her personality still stayed. That side of him became more timid and reclusive. It was ashamed of being himself. The other was brash and violent. It hated the world. Hated everything. The timid side wanted to protect it and protect every one from it.

Both sides refer themselves as Piko. They both talk about Pika as a different person. The doctors debated if the violent personality was actually the imprinted personality of his father. Others argued that maybe it was his masculine side that was enraged with all the pain he suffered.

"You don't have to see me..." he whispered. I sat in my chair and place a small ziplock baggy on his lap.

"Look, I brought gummi cherry candies," I chirped.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

I took his hand, "What are you saying? You don't have to be sorry about anything..." I softly answered.

He seemed so slow and sluggish, Papa later told me that it was because of all the medication they put in him. They just put so much, to the point it makes him do nothing. He lost some weight, too.

Deep inside I clung on to the image of the Piko I met two years ago. The one who first opened up to me at that little abandoned park.

"I'm so sorry... so, so sorry..." he said.

I just listened to him.

"I couldn't be what she wanted me to be, I couldn't let my sister stay. I couldn't. Miki?"

"Yes?" I asked.

"Miki, you're here? I didn't notice you..." he whispered, "Your hair flick looks like mine. It's cute..."

My eyes start to water up in tears, "Thank you," I said.

"Miki why are you so sad?" He rested his hand over mine, "Don't be sad."

"I'm not sad," I said weakly, "I just have something in my eyes..." it was a cliched excuse, but I really didn't have any other to pull out of my sleeve.

"Miki, I like these candies you always bring me, they are very sweet. The nurse usually takes them away from me..." He started to wring his fingers. This was the timid side. "I wanted to ask her to stop. But I didn't want her to get upset with me..."

Papa walked up to me, "Miki, it's time to go."

"But Papa!" I begged.

"I know, but I promise next time, you'll stay with him for a longer time,"

"It's okay, I'll be fine," Piko smiled, "I'll wait for you,"

I threw myself at him and gave him a tight hug, "I know I can't protect you. I know that I can't do nothing. But I promise that I will still be here for you. No matter what, okay? Even if I'm the only one. I'll still be here..."

I felt his arms go around me.

"That's okay, I never expected you to protect me." his voice was steady and serious, "I'm supposed to protect you. But I can take care of myself better now, so you don't have to worry."

I parted from him and looked at him one last time.

"Sweetheart let's go,"

"Yes, Papa."

I was in middle school at the time. I started to have a lot of boys look at me and lots of them gave me chocolates on valentines day. It was weird for me. By this time, I wasn't so chatty or hyper. Well, I'll always be energetic but not hyper. I was quiet when I was by myself, and I really didn't push to be within the crowd. I saw everything kinda different now.

I constantly kept wondering if Piko started to go to school, how would he act? And how would everyone treat him? I noticed a lot of girls liked shotas, so I knew that he might be well liked in that category.

There was the "Shota Ouji-sama" (Shota Prince) in my middle school at the time. Kagemine Len. I had a little crush on him, I admit. He is a blonde with blue eyes. Kinda tsundere and very chivalrous. Most of all, he sorta reminded me of how Piko used to be two years ago. A nice guy, in a tough boyish kinda way.

I left gummi cherry candies in his locker once and ran away. I don't think he ever noticed it was from me.

I don't know how it got around, but some girl noticed that I liked Len and then she gathered her friends and started picking on me. This pissed me off and when she started talking trash, I spit in her face. I hated bullies. Hated them with a passion. I still do. It's my biggest pet peeve.

Well the bullying got worst. They threatened me if I told on them, but then Rin stepped in. She was known as the "Akuma Hime" (Demon Princess). After wards, we became friends. I never really talked to them about Piko. But eventually it popped up in conversations. I would just tell at those times that he was a childhood friend who was sickly and was usually at the hospital.

Foster parents took Piko in, when it was deemed that his parents weren't suitable to ever take care of him. He still had the therapist see him, and I was able to visit him. He was very calm and gentle. He ran out to meet me halfway when he saw me walking down the street to his house.

He entered back into public school on the last year of middle school. He was taking special education classes since he was so left back from several times he was admitted to the hospital. I never introduced him properly to Rin and Len. Mainly because I was afraid of what Len would think of him.

Although Piko acted mostly on his timid side, he was never clingy to me. He would always go on his own and never minded when I left him to hang out with Rin. I pondered time and time again about introducing them.

We had our moments of going to that park and sitting by the river together. On a day like that he just suddenly just split to second side that hardly ever shows...

"So I heard you like the _Shota Ouji_..." he teased he voice dragging a lower tone.

"T-that's well..." I looked at him. When I caught his expression, there was a dark smirk over his face.

"Keh, he think's he's all that... I wanna see how well he does in a fight," he scoffed.

"Piko what's wrong?" I asked. By this time, I was used to his switches.

"You gave him gummi cherries... you only use to give that to me," he barked, crossing his arms and tossing his head aside.

I blushed, "Well, I give gummis to all my friends, Piko. Len and Rin are my friends and I've given gummis to Rin, too," I said in an attempt to save myself.

He furrowed his brows in consideration of my statement before he spoke, "Fine, I guess I took it the wrong way. Ah—ah!" he threw himself back to lie on the grass, "I wanna kill something..."

"You can ask your parents to get you a PSP..." I hinted.

He looked up from to me from where he laid.

"They came out with the PSP Vita. I heard it's realllly good."

"I used to play that a lot, didn't I?" he mumbled.

"Yes!" I clapped my hands together, "And we played battles too!" I chirped.

He sat up, "But I'm no good at those games... I don't think I want to do that again..." he said in a feeble voice. He stood up, "I'm leaving, but you don't have to worry about me..."

I grew sad, "What why?"

"I need to go home and take my pills... I forgot to bring them..." he softly mumbled.

"I'll walk with you," I insisted.

He smiled, "Thank you..." He reached out his hand and I took it as he helped me up.

We walked home together. It almost felt like old times.

I know that I needed to stop comparing. But I just loved those old moments. I just loved the side his parents hated so much. I felt for some reason that I needed to keep acknowledging its existence. This second side is different from the old Piko, it was more violent. Was more blunt. He never wished harm on me, on the contrary it was very protective. It rarely showed itself making me feel as if the timid gentle side was in actually his true personality.

His therapist encouraged him to write. And eventually Piko would share to me the things he wrote. I would read it to myself in my room.

That was when I found out that, it was more than just two sides, it was a whole world that was constructed around him. He would describe it in bits and pieces. The writing would change and I saw there was some parts that were scratched out. I tried to lift those parts of writing to the light. And I noticed that my name was written somewhere in there.

Other pages were ripped out.

On the day I walked to his house to return the notebook, I saw his therapist walk out. I met up with him and I told him about what I read. I asked him to explain. He smiled saying,

"You really care about him don't you? Most people don't usually do what you have been doing. It's very commemorative."

"I made a promise, that's all." I said, "So can you tell me? His sickness, does it have a name?"

He sighed, "Yes, but are you sure you want me to tell you? I don't want it to change the way you see him," he questioned.

I thought about it. Was it that bad?'

"Tell me anyway," I insisted, "I don't care what it is..."

"It's early-onset schizophrenia,"

That hit me like a rock pelted to the chest, "B-but it's not serious, is it?"

He shook his head, "No, it's not. The signs had decreased drastically and the anti-psychotics he's taking is helping him prevent any hallucinations," he gave me a small nod, "Well, I need to be going now. Please don't let what I said change the way you see him. He cares very deeply for you..." and with that he left.

What hit me really wasn't that he had schizophrenia, it was the fact that it is an incurable disease. It meant that the hope I had of Piko returning to the way he once was; shattered. My hands gripped at the skirt on my sides as I tried to stop my eyes from watering.

"Mii-chan?"

I quickly looked up and saw Piko looking at me from his front porch. I tried to smile.

"You've always been so sad when you see me. Stop being sad," he said stepping down and walking towards me.

"It's just..." I wiped my eyes trying to stop the already flowing tears, "That I didn't help you... I didn't do anything... I just listened to you... I should of..." I was hiccuping between words as I felt Piko's arms go around me.

"That's all I need, I just need you to hear me."

I hold on to him tightly.

"Tell me, what's bothering you? Am I bothering you?"

I pulled my head off his shoulder and looked into his eyes, "No! Of course not! You never bother me, Piko! Never!" I say.

"Then why are you so sad? Is it because of what Leon said? Miki, I know what I have," He told me, "I'm okay with it. I know that I see things differently from other people, I know that. And I'm okay with it..." he said tenderly, "So please don't cry, Miki. There's nothing wrong with me.."

I wiped my tears and nod. I saw him just smile. I reach into my side handbag and pull out the notebook to hand to him. He took it and brought it against his chest.

"From now on, I don't want you to think about protecting me," Piko said, "You can't stop the things that happen to me. But I can. I don't want to keep making you sad. Okay? Just treat me like you always treat me. Because deep inside, I'm still the same person, right?" He smiled.

A wide grin spreads across my face, "Yes!" I said nodding at the same time. "I promise."

"You wanna go downtown? My foster mother told me about a really cool ice cream shoppe."

"Sure!" I piped, "Do you think they have cherry sherbert?"

He just laughed.

–

Insanity.

Sanity in a nonsensical world.

A bridge connecting reality and the imagination.

One day, I want step into that world. I want dive into that state of mind and pull him out if it. But the thought is scary, because I'm afraid of the ugliness the illusions hide. Often times, I look and see how happy he is. I wonder if that happiness will leave him if it all ends. I am amazed how well he hides it...

–

But for sometime now, I wanted Piko to have another friend besides me. Someone who can protect him, that can help him in the way that I could never do...

That day sitting in the bushes watching Yuuma-san walk in. Something in my heart told me that he was the one. It's weird. But that's what I felt...

Maybe, I should just stop thinking about these things. But it makes me worried when Piko disappears and comes back with bruises. Because I know that it's that side that picks fights with others. It craves violence and I'm afraid that it will get worse. The fact that he has no friends besides me worries me. He doesn't want to make any more friends.

And even though he doesn't mind hanging out with me, Piko enjoys spending weeks without seeing me...

–

"_...but you gotta promise me that you'll help him stay outta these kinda situations..."_

–

"_That's a pretty hard promise to keep..." _

–

"_Why? Aren't you his friend?"_

–

Yes, I am his friend. I'm his only friend. But, I can't keep this promise to Yuuma-san. In fact, I'm hoping that he makes this promise for me instead... But I know this is probably not fair and it's self-imposing but I'm desperate. I don't want to lose him, not after all of the years that I've been trying to help him.

* * *

><p>I've already wasted too much time...<p>

Is this man the cause of all the trouble Piko gets into?

Piko walked up to the hooded man and turned around to face me.

"I don't want to be normal, Miki, I don't want to get better,"

I was just standing there. I can't explain how I'm feeling. A mixture of shock, fear, and disbelief. As if my body, my arms and legs, were not part of my body anymore. The type of shock the mind goes through in a car crash...

"What do you mean?" I asked my voice falling dry.

"Taking these pills, therapy, school, all those things are forcing me to breath underwater. I feel like I'm drowning... I want say goodbye."

His eyes were steady, completely confident with every word escaping his lips.

"Goodbye to myself," he says, "To everything that ever was normal and makes sense to everybody else, and only take what matters, what makes sense to me. How I see it, nothing matters anymore. It all doesn't matter anymore. And I don't want you to cry or be upset anymore, Miki. All you ever do worry about me."

"Piko," I cling my hands to my chest, "Don't do this, don't go with him, Piko!" I was on the verge of tears.

Piko looks at me, his eyes widened a bit. He takes a step, but the hooded man placed a hand on Piko's shoulder and slowly shakes his head.

I bite my lip. I'm not giving up.

"Piko, forget about making me worry, or upset, or cry. I choose to feel this way, much like the way you chose to feel. Just like you choose, I choose! I choose to worry about you, care about you, cry over you! I choose all those things! And if you don't want to take any medication, then don't! But don't leave with that man! Don't do it! Come here, Piko... please..." I begged lifting my arms.

Piko's eyes water and so does mine. We look like two crybabies about to bawl in front of each other.

The hooded man bends down and whispers something in his ear. Piko slowly starts to look towards the ground as his expression dies out. The hooded man then places his palm over Piko's head. I saw that all the fingers, up to the wrist was wrapped in bloodied bandages.

Piko slowly turned around and started to walk passed the man. I start to run towards them, but the hooded man takes out a gun. He points it straight at me as I freeze in place.

"He cannot live his lifestyle around you," the man spoke, "You can never fully understand him or us. Trust me." he said; a voice that was deep and harsh.

"But your foster mother is looking for you!" I cried ignoring the man, "Piko!"

"She's dead..." Piko mumbled, "I killed her..."

"He made you do it? Didn't he!" Target my anger towards the man, "How could you! Stay away from him!"

The man smirks darkly, "You make threats to a man with a gun?" he readies his finger on the trigger, "Or else what? I should shoot you now."

I hold my feet to the ground, "Fuck you, asshole!" I spat. I was shaking all over.

I hear a shot ring in the air, as I shield my face with my arms. I didn't feel any pain, I wasn't hurt. I lower my arms and look ahead of me.

Piko knocked the gun off just in time to miss his shot at me.

"**Leave her alone**," he rasped. He had a small dagger pulled out as the dead set eyes stared at the hooded man, "Or I **will** kill you..."

The man started laughing, "I see... so she's like her... just like her.. You would do anything so that she's safe..." He picked up the gun and slotted within his hooded cape.

"Miki, forget about me," Piko said looking back at me, "Just go... It doesn't matter if you choose, a boy never likes to make a girl cry."

My eyes lingered in Piko's for a moment as I tears streamed from my eyes. I didn't want it to happen but I couldn't stop them. I hated all this, I hated. One part of me wanted to follow him, to dive into that world with him. But the other side, sensibility, my own sanity told me it was wrong.

That now they were killers,

And many other things...

I was scared, I was afraid. I let him go down the stairs that one time. To meet his father at the door. The time when everything went to hell. What will happen if I let him go? With this man? What will happen? When will be the next time we meet? I was afraid of what the future holds for him. But he seems so incredibly calm. He wants to bring me peace of mind, but I can't.

I can't settle.

Not when I know what could happen to him.

The police will start coming after him.

God what will I do?

What am I going to do now?

I felt Piko hug me. When did he come so close to me? Was I that lost in my own thoughts?

"Just let me go..."

My arms just tighten it's embrace.

"Let me go, Miki."

"No... not after everything... no... I know you can still do this, I know you can.." I say.

He moved closer as his eyes look intently into mine. A period of silence, as my heart just beats irregularly. I slowly close my eyes as his lips land over and touch mine. His hand moves over and touches under my jaw and felt the fingers slip to the back of my neck as his head tilts to the side.

My first kiss as his lips soft and cool like the surface of cherries, blend with mine. I tasted a bit of his tongue before we parted.

His cheeks were red, but his stare was still serious and intense.

"I practiced for you..." he whispered.

I swear, I was getting light-headed. I couldn't believed that he just kissed me. I was still processing the fact that he actually had feelings for me.

His hand moved and touch the bottom of my chin with his thumb resting on my bottom lip, "I want only for the best for you... but I'm not that. Please understand..." he said as his hand slipped away.

I slowly nod as he backed away from me. He turn around as walked away with the man. I left from the junkyard myself. I went to the little ice cream shoppe that Piko had shown me and took a seat on one of the stool tables by the window.

People walked back and forth on the side walk. It was sunset and the plaza laid right across the street. The large clock tower stuck out of the hills of building adding antiquity to a fast paced modernizing city.

"I'm sorry Piko..." I whispered to myself, "But you know how stubborn I get..."

**END CHAPTER**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10 Preview<p>

* * *

><p>I know that I abuse my brother's kindness. I know. And I hate it when people point it out to me...<p>

We hit like ten different downtown shops and Len was teetering from all the things he carried. But not all of the stuff were mine. Jeeze... he bought a couple of stuff too. I even convinced him to buy condoms.

Cue in my devilish smile.


	10. Didn't See That Coming

**Vocaloid POV**: Rin Kagemine

* * *

><p><strong>10th Song – Didn't See that Coming<strong>

* * *

><p>I saw Miku walk out of the room. After hearing the door shut, I turn and looked at my brother who seemed deeply sucked into his scribbling.<p>

"Can't you tell me already?" I pout.

Len looked up to me with an annoyed look, "Alright, alright already, just give me a sec," After a few moments he put his pen down and slouched back into his chair. He pushed the notebook over to me.

"Tell me what you think," he said.

I looked down at Len's neatly scrawled characters.

–

_A fallen angel lost in the city,_

_Meets a beautiful woman clad in black,_

_looking into her eyes it fell in love instantly._

_But love between angel and human is sin_

_But the desire is so great,_

_The angel was willing to sell its soul to the devil to have a chance with her..._

–

There was a lot of crossed out words here and there as if he was changing his mind while he composed this idea. I looked it over again and I could feel Len's nervous stare poking me.

"Relax okay!" I practically shout.

"Fine!" he barked looking aside. He crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows.

I lazed back in my chair and lift my chin a bit looking like a evil mastermind. Well, because I am, of course.

"My dear brother, why is the angel defined as an _"it"_?" I said waving the notebook about.

"Because," he began, "Angels are genderless spirits. Even though people establish genders for them, they are defined as asexual," he had a squiggle of a frown across his face. Oh how cute.

"You know what I'm thinking...?" I teased leaning forward, dropping the notebook on the table.

Len leaned back on his hair as I inched forward into his face, "I don't think I want to know..." he mumbled.

"Of course you do~" I cooed tracing my finger under his chin, "...let's make the angel a female..."

I saw my brother facepalm, "Rin!"

"Yes!" I stood and looked up. I was on a roll, the ideas wouldn't stop flowing, "And she left a relationship with another male angel. And and!" I point toward Len, "When the angel trades her soul, she becomes a man! And the woman dresses in black because she is a sinful woman. The black she wears symbolizes the fact that she has cause an angel to sin. Oh ho ho! This is brilliant! I am brilliant!"

I heard clapping.

I looked and I saw Len was smiling as he clapped. I gave him a wide smile as I did a little curtsy.

"As crazy as you are... it sounds perfect. It's kinda of a dark theme for the holidays. But who cares. This sounds awesome," He took the notebook and wrote in my suggestions.

"Now! For the actors..." I began taking my seat once more.

"Isn't it obvious," Len began already writing it down, "You'll be the angel, and I'll be the human form you take."

"Soo... that leaves Miku as the sinful woman,"

I saw Len accidentally draw a line down the page, "W-what?"

"Oh come on! Have you imagined anybody else?" I pressed.

"But you have to act like you're in love with her!" he cried.

"But she will fall in love _with you..._" I explained.

"W-well, fine! I guess, I have no other choice then," I saw that he tried to look upset, but he was obviously thrilled at the thought.

I can't believe, I never realized. I can't believe that after all this time, I had never known. My brother is in love with Miku. He told me that one day, how it just happened. That he had always felt close to her, and enjoyed being around her. But just one day, it just hit him. He just realized;

Oh. I like this girl. I like her a lot.

That is what he told me. He kept it to himself and never told me until the time we got into that big fight. Yes that day. That day when we came home and spilled our guts to each other, that is when he told me that he was in love with her.

And to think all this time I was cheering her on to be with some random guy I haven't even met face to face... Miku has shown me pictures of him that she took on her cellphone. And he _is_ drop dead gorgeous—but my brother can top any man hands down! I can't believe he felt insecure and thought I wouldn't switch to his side when he noticed that I was cheering Miku on for Kaito.

Silly, silly, Len.

Miku is one of my closest friends. If Len, let's say, gets _married_ to her, well, she'll become my sissy-in-law. I see no problem with that. And our family is rich. So her family doesn't have to worry about us caring about fame because we are already financially stable.

It's perfect.

"Well, Rin, we should already leave it there for now," I snap out of my thoughts and see Len packing up, "We should get going,"

"Yeah!" I practically bounce off my seat and pick up my handbag, "You gotta get something really nice for Miku this Christmas!" I sang.

"I know that, I know..." he pouts as his shoulders his book bag.

We both walk out of the clubroom and Len closes the door behind him. The hallways after school looks really empty. I twirl a bit and looked back at my brother. As our eyes met he smiled.

"Len! Len! Len!" I chant as I run back and cling to his shoulder.

He sighed with a smile as he closed his eyes, "What is it this time, Rin?"

"I want you to help me think of a present for the guy I like..."

He looked at me with a tilt of his head, "What? You mean the pink heart guy?"

I clasp my hands together and squint in a squee-ish smile. Len tells me when I do that, I look like an excited kitten, "Yes! He's so cute, his voice makes me melt!"  
>Len huffed, "Hai, hai..."<p>

As we nearly exited the building I remembered, "Oh Len! Lemme go to the bathroom and freshen up a bit. Since we're going straight to the downtown I can't let anyone see me like a mess."

"You look fine! Rin! Riiin!" he cried as I dashed away to the ladies room.

I busted the door open and walked up to the mirror and looked at myself. An entire day at school of walking and fussing and bumping into people wears down the appearance you know? If I'm going downtown I might as well check myself again. Because you never know who you might run into.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not vain, or selfish. Maybe a little prideful, but hell, that's the average personality of the teenage girl, am I wrong? Every girl want to make sure she looks beautiful. Speaking about every girl...

After reapplying my lip gloss, I check my phone to see if I have any replies from Mii-chan. She texted me that she wasn't able to come to school today, and I was worried. For the pass few days; she seemed very distracted.

I texted again asking where she was.

Maybe we can meet up and shop together! Ouuu! That would be so fun~ we can both poke fun at Len together. I looked down at my phone thinking of her.

She used to like Len a lot in middle school, I remember. She told me about it after we became friends. I kept it a secret from Len and Miki one day confessed to him in the spring under sakura trees. He shot her down. I didn't understand it then, I even felt a bit upset.

But now I know. He likes someone else.

Miki got over it. I asked her once if she still liked him. But she told me, that the feeling was gone. She told me that she really didn't like him for who he was, but what he symbolized. I didn't understand her. But then again, Miki says a lot of things that I don't understand.

–

I know that I abuse my brother's kindness. I know. And I hate it when people point it out to me...

We hit like ten different downtown shops and Len was teetering from all the things he carried. But not all of the stuff were mine. Jeeze... he bought a couple of stuff too. I even convinced him to buy condoms.

Cue in my devilish smile.

Ugh... but like I said. I hate it when people accuse me of abusing him.

"Ah... look, well if it isn't the brother man-slave! Grow some balls, Len. You gonna let this bitch boss you around?"

I literally snarled at him.

Keine Ron. I hate him with a passion. Keine is a half. Chinese from his mother's side and Japanese from his father's. I only know because he brags about it half to death. He's tall, wearing a black long sleeve shirt with a graphic t-shirt over it. The tee was designed with a Chinese motif. Black skinny jeans and lace-less slip in sneakers. His hair was black and long, braided loosely and tailed it over his right shoulder. He's a junior just like Miku.

The tips of his fingers fiddled with the tail of the braid as he returned my snarl with a dirty look.

"Fuck off dickwad!" I barked.

Len carefully put down his stuff before placing a hand on my shoulder, "Relax, Rin."

I slapped his hand off my shoulder, "NO! I don't care if they're your friends, friends don't make fun of you and they don't get away with calling me bitch!" I zing a venomous glare at Keine, who didn't even flinch.

Yes. They are Len's friends. As much as we were attached to each other, Len and I have our own social groups. I would hang out with Miki, Miku and a couple other girls like Yuzuki Yukari. She's a sweet girl with purple lilac hair. But I'm getting off topic...

Point is, my group of friends are a girly, rather friendly group of chicks. But Len often hangs out with more tougher, and in Keine's case—foul-mouthed people. It's as if Len wants to throw away that righteous good-boy shota persona he had in middle school.

Shota-oji-sama. The Shota Prince. That's what everyone called him.

Oh and I forgot to add, that there is someone else standing next to Keine. Matsuda Ppoiyo. This guy is like his sidekick or something. He doesn't say much, but I can always find this guy hanging out with Keine. Light blue hair with white highlights, wearing a blouse and a designer tie, pants and sneakers. He looked rather indifferent as he sucked on a blue lollipop.

"Okay, okay, I'll get him to apologize," Len said in a calm voice. But it wasn't doing much to relieve my seething anger.

"Yo, Ron, that's not cool. You don't get away with calling my sister a bitch." He walked up to him and pointed at me,"Go apologize," Len said in a steady voice.

I saw Keine toss his head aside, "I'd rather burn in hell,"

Len punched him, and Keine fell back. He looked up at Len shocked. I just puffed up and crossed my arms. All I have to do now was just wait.

"I said apologize. Now." he demanded.

Matsuda looked down at Keine, pulling out the lollipop from his mouth, "Just do it, man. You asked for it."

He stood up and walked up to me. Len and Matsuda stood from where they were and watched. I looked aside, avoiding his unnerving stare to give him a sense of inferiority. It seem to have worked, since he huffed in annoyance when finally came up to me.

"I'm sorry, alright?" He hissed.

I finally looked at him, narrowing my eyes, I lift my chin bit giving him a cold skeptical stare, "I don't think you mean it," I pointed towards the ground, "Get down on your knees and say it like you mean it," I snapped.

He grabbed my hand I used to point down, and my eyes were wrenched wide. He pulled me close, "I mean it, because I like you," he whispered his voice dragging to a low tone.

What?

What the fuck did he just say?

"Let go of me, Matsuda!" I hear Len shout.

Keine broke off from me and both of us look towards Len and Matsuda. He was grappling Len and had Len's arm twisted and placed against his back.

They planned this. The both of them. I looked at Keine, I only have nothing but oodles of hate for him. He would never be able to come up to me in a normal way. So he'd though of a way to cause a conflict that would place him in a close proximity to me. Matsuda would be next to Len to hold him back in case he would step in and stop Keine.

I gotta hand it to them... that was pretty damn slick.

I cross my arms and start tapping my foot. Out of the corner of my eye, I examine Keine.

Okay. So he's got a pretty face.

Tall.

And he's three years older than me.

Oh. That's right. My biggest turn on is older men. Which is why I was so crazy for Miku to be with that Kaito guy at first. Damnit. I didn't know if I should be pleased or annoyed. It's not like I can forget how much I hate the guy just because he asked me out. Che, come on now. I'm not so swallow-minded.

After receiving a nod from Keine, Matsuda let Len go.

"What the hell!" Len barked at Keine and shot a dirty look to Matsuda.

"It's alright," I called out to my brother, "I forgive you," I said directing myself to Keine.

He continued to stare at me. It's like he wanted to eat me alive with his blue eyes.

Len walked up to Keine, "What was all that about? Why did you grab my sister's hand like that?"

"I don't get on my knees for just anyone," he began, "They have to be someone that shares the same feeling as I do." He stared at me, "It's only then that I will do anything for that person."

Len gave him weird look, and caught his wandering glance. He looked back at me.

_What the heck is he talking about?_

I look back at my brother and pushed up the end of my lip, while I rolled my eyes.

_Like hell, if I know. Let's just leave._

Len turned back to Keine, "Look, Ron, we'll talk later okay?"

"Sure..." He said with a sigh.

They both did some hand gesture as Matusda walked up to join the two.

"Yo... Len, looks like you came up with something for the skit."

OH yeah... Matsuda is in the drama club and happens to also be in our group. He sleeps through it every damn day. I don't even know why he comes to drama club. He even brings in a small pillow and just fuckin sleeps through it all.

"You noticed?" Len asked.

"Yeah," he replied twirling the lollipop around in circles, "I couldn't sleep today, and I saw you taking notes in your notebook."

"Well," Len scratched the back of his head, "It's kinda in the wood works right now, I'll tell you about it tomorrow."

"A'ight," He stuck the candy back in his mouth, and turned around.

"See ya, Len," Keine said as he followed Matsuda.

"Yeah," he replied.

We both stood as we watched him walk away. I flick out my cellphone, "I'm going to call Miriam to pick up our stuff."

Miriam is our "Nana", our caretaker. She's a woman in her thirties that looks much younger than what her age tells. Her mother took care of us when we were babies, and when she died due to cancerous tumor, she naturally took her place. In many ways we both regard her as our mother.

But we could never tell our real mother that.

"Alright," Len said checking over the bags to make sure the were all there, "Let's just take this all outside the store and wait for her there...

"Ughh... Len! Miki hasn't texted me back!" I whine.

"Now that's weird," he said, "Let's just hope she comes to school tomorrow."

I nodded back at him, "Yeah, but what if she doesn't?"

Len smiled at me, "We'll stalk her,"

I laugh. My brother is the best.

END CHAPTER

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><p>Author Notes<p>

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><p>Yes ppl, I was referencing "Alluring Secret - Black Vow" in the first part of the chapter. It's a good song. The Nico chorus version got me all emotional. I'm such a baby...<p>

It's beginning to be challenging to write first person perceptive. I almost always write first person omniscient. And if this story was so, you would have known a lot more things by the tenth chapter, trust me...

I'm trying not to drag the plot, but I can't stop it. This story is walking out on it's own. The ending however is slowly becoming clear. It's isn't obvious yet. But I know the points I need to hit in order to be able to wrap it up. And there is a lot to go... TT_TT

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><p>Chapter 11 Preview<p>

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><p>As much as it bothered me, I can't seem to just pick myself up and just admit to her, to them, that I have forgotten it. Even though I have a legitimate reason. Even if I say so now, I feel like I'm going to get slapped for keeping such ignorance to myself for so long.<p>

I'm telling myself to just live with never knowing, but it's killing me. It seems like I can't keep it to myself. And I'm wondering lots of things... Like what exactly did Gakupo tell her? She's not scared of an older man having thoughts about her? What does she think of me? Does she have thoughts of me too?"


	11. Return To Normal?

**Vocaloid POV**: Kaito Shion

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><p><strong>11th Song - Return to Normal?<strong>

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><p>Two weeks passed since Gakupo's visit. After that, we hardly talk much. I was back to my life prior to my drunken run-in with Hatsune. Nights at the bar with Haku and Meiko. Getting harassed by Sonika and Tonio at work, and hitting the female host clubs on the weekends.<p>

A chilly wind blows against me. I tug my scarf to over my frozen lips. I breathed out hot air within the pocket space I hid my mouth to generate the heat needed to warm the bottom part of my face.

It was the late afternoon, and I was making a run to my favorite ice cream place. I've often pondered since I've shown Hatsune my favorite places, that, I should avoid them. Since I risk the chance that she might find me... but I've decided that it was a really cowardly thing to do. If she purposely comes out to seek me, it's because she wants talk to me.

And I can't keep denying her that.

I stopped at the corner of the street and look into my phone that's within my gloved fingers. I looked at my messages while I waited for the light to turn green.

–

_ Shion, I know now, Gaku-kun told me everything._

–

_ I want to see u. I want to return the scarf..._

–

_ Did you get my last text? I still have your scarf, I know how important it is to you.._

–

_ Kaito... I've been wanting to talk you. Please, text me back, or call me..._

–

_ Why don't you reply? You're making me feel like a stalker... Is that what I am to you now? I want to give back your scarf. That is if you still care about it..._

–

_ Okay... this is the last text, I'm going to send you. You obviously don't want to talk to me anymore. I got that. Well I just want you to know that I don't find it weird that you had lewd thoughts about me. Even guys at my high school do that. That doesn't scare me. But fine. But I'm mad at you._

–

_ I know I said the last text was the last text. But this text is the last of the last. I just wanted to know, do you me in other ways besides that of a sexual interest? Just asking okay? But if you don't answer, I'm going to assume that the answer is no._

–

The light changed, and I placed the phone back in my pocket as I picked up my pace.

I haven't deleted her messages. I keep re-reading them now and then. If someone asked me why I don't reply to them, I wouldn't be able to give them a reply. It's not that I'm avoiding the chance to talk to her. It's just... I don't know... I feel stuck.

What's really bugging me is the promise I made to her.

What the hell did I say? What was it?

As much as it bothered me, I can't seem to just pick myself up and just admit to her to them, that I have forgotten it. Even though I have a legitimate reason. Even if I say so now, I feel like I'm going to get slapped for keeping such ignorance to myself for so long.

I'm telling myself to just live with never knowing, but it's killing me. It seems like I can't keep it to myself. And I'm wondering lots of things... Like what exactly did Gakupo tell her? She's not scared of an older man having thoughts about her? What does she think of me? Does she have thoughts of me too?"

I feel my face burn hotly as I place my hand over it.

Now, she probably sees me as the biggest pervert.

And I haven't answered her last text, so now she probably sees me as total jerk as well.

Ah, fuck she hates me...

I feel a queasy feeling churn in my stomach.

Why does this girl make me feel this way? Isn't this supposed to be just a crush? I don't get it.

I push open the door, once I arrived and look about. Something caught my eye, or rather someone.

It was a girl, a high schooler most likely. Her hair had a red color that I couldn't define. It looked as if it was magneta, but it wasn't. More like scarlet, but it was no where near orange. It wanted lean toward a more rosy red. Yes... that's what it is... it's a rosey red color. She sat on one of the small tables for two looking out of the store window. She appeared rather melancholy.

The man who ran the counter called out to me. He knew me well, and we would often strike conversation. I turned over to him and laughed being caught by surprise. I was so absorbed in my observation, that he had startled me.

"Well, I'm going to get the usual cartons from the freezer," I told him. I then looked down into the glass display that showed the selection for scooped ice cream.

"You want something to go?" the man asked.

I looked over to the rosy red-head. She folded her arms on the table and hid her head within them. I frowned a bit. I then looked back down at the glass display, afterwards my attention returned to the man.

"Sure!" I chimed.

Hmm... I wanted pick out something for her. I know for a fact that ice cream is the cure to any depression or negative feeling. Otherwise why would women wallow over ice cream? I looked carefully over the selection. I want to pick something that reminds me of her.

Rosey red.

Maraschino cherries. She reminds me of maraschino cherries. I'll just make it all cherries.

"Get me a medium cup of, cherry vanilla ice cream, whipped cream all around and some maraschino cherries here and there."

"Ah, one of your inspirations?"

I just laughed, "I suppose so."

After I selected which cartons to buy and the man finished preparing my order, I paid him and walked towards the rosey redhead. Her head was still face down onto the table as I place the cup on the surface right in front of her.

As if sensing my presence she looked up. I smile down at her as I pushed the cup of ice cream closer to her.

"Smile," I say, "Even if you feel it all goes to hell. Because you never want others to see how miserable you are. You only make them worry more... at least that how I feel..."

Her eyes, a warm crimson color, just watered as her lips curled up into a smile.

"Thank you..." she whispered.

I just smile back and turned and left the store, bracing myself once more for the cold.

–

That night, before I went to bed, I took one last look at Miku's last text and sent her a reply.

**END CHAPTER**

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><p><strong>Author Notes<strong>

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><p>I just HAD to squeeze a KaiMiki moment. I just HAD to! Okay, so shoot me. I know was going nowhere with that development. But I just felt the need... *huffs* Well anyways, I am going to write a Kai/Miki one-shot and my urges of doing so slipped out in this chappie, my apologies.

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><p><em>Chapter 12 Preview<em>

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><p>It's weird.<p>

It's been weird ever since they kicked me out of the house.

I saw my old man the day I packed my things. He wouldn't look me in the eye. My sister stood there the whole time, fidgety and unsure.

–

_It's something that has been decided by father, and I think it's for the best._

–

She said.

She said that, but they're hiding shit.


	12. Grudges and Regrets

**Vocaloid POV**: Yuuma Yamaha (VY2 Yuuma)

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><p><strong>12th Song – Grudges and Regrets<strong>

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><p>It's weird.<p>

It's been weird ever since they kicked me out of the house.

I saw my old man the day I packed my things. He wouldn't look me in the eye. My sister stood there the whole time, fidgety and unsure.

–

_It's something that has been decided by father, and I think it's for the best._

–

She said.

She said that, but they're hiding shit.

The entire house played this tune. This weird whiny tune. It's always been an uncomfortable song that plays at my house, but it was louder now. It was revolting. It was getting me sick.

They got me an apartment, a place that's near the downtown, next to a public middle school. Near the school my ass... I have to walk thirteen motha-fuckin blocks just get to my school. It's a shitty place with small rooms, part of apartment complex. You know, one of those places that all look the same and people pee in the fucking elevators.

Yeah... you could imagine how thrilled I was.

And apparently everyone happens to know each other.

People there tried to strike conversations with me. Especially this green-haired chick. Her name was Gummy or Gumi? Ah, fuck whatever.. don't care to bother remembering.

It's been weird, and I've been unable to understand why. I'm unable to understand, the reason of that underlying melody playing in the background of all this...

–

When I walked down the hallway after school today, I saw Miku twirling around in circles. I noticed that she was listening to music. What I didn't know was that she was wrapped up in the song she was hearing.

Then, she stopped and stared at me. I felt kinda werided out, but curious. I walked closer to her. I could hear the sound of violins playing from her mp3 player. She seem to carry herself as if she wore a large dress.

Long story short, she slapped me when I stopped her from touching my face. I knew it was the music that wrapped her up in all that fantasy, and I tugged out an earplug. Almost immediately, she snapped out of it.

She loves music. I can tell. I can easily tell from the way she talks about it. How she shows so much more interest in the music instead of the life of the singer itself. I'm the same way. So I hung around her a little bit, and talked to her about bands, songs and stuff.

"Do you listen to Mizki?"

"Yeah, I do...," I wasn't lying. I have a lot of her songs on my player.

"I love her voice! She sings with so much feeling," I saw Miku close her eyes and smile.

Mizki often sings with her erhu. There is a lot of longing and sadness in a bunch of her songs, and in others a sharp cynical zing to her style. I know that she's put up a mask to hide things and I know that she's being a hypocrite. But in song, she could never lie.

She knows that deep down, I'm just being truthful to myself, and in the end, I know that she hates me for it.

I eventually let it slip that she's my sister and my aggravation against her started to show. Eventually I just walked away. Miku asked me to go to the record store with her tomorrow. She wants to be my friend.

Well, I guess it can't be that bad.

I usually don't like when people tag along with me. Or follow me. Actually cuz I'm kind of embarrassed of who I really am. I'm kind of a weirdo. I sketch people with turnip heads, and wrote a song about a dead sunfish on the back of my doorstep. I call myself a romantic, not because I like to fall in love, but because I like to use descriptive adjectives and personifications for everything.

I see music as the sound of emotions coming out of people. Everyone has there own theme song, I think. It just hasn't be written out yet. Sometimes, I can even hear it. At times, some sounds are so sicking and so distracting that I just blast my own music. Sometimes, when I just can't stand it all, I drown myself in my music.

I guess, I kinda let my guard down a bit, because of the way I saw her caught up in that song she was hearing. I kinda wanted see what was in that world she painted. I knew that when I got home, I'll look up the song and hear it for myself.

Well... that's what was on my head the moment before I opened the front door...

The entire place was trashed. I closed the door behind me and slowly walked inside.

Fuck. I actually left my wakizashi at home today.

As I stepped in, the single sofa there was ripped, the light fixture was torn out from the ceiling. I quickly rushed into my room. Moving pass the bed covered in gashes, I wrenched my closet door open. Opening oriental deigned box, I saw they were gone.

They wore both gone.

The fan, and the wakizashi.

A piercing screech tore at my ears.

It was the sound of panic. I was panicking.

In it's place was a letter. With shaking hands, I opened it.

–

**I have you now, YUMIE~~~**

**You are mine. **

**I can't believe how easy it was! How easy—how simple-minded of them to just hand you over to me!**

**Now, I can do whatever I want with you. Yes, you fucking bastard, I'll take back what belongs to me! Because you don't deserve it! None of you deserve it. **

**He shouldn't have died, he died because of YOU! You asshole, fucking ingrates all of you! **

**Your father is a fool, because regardless I'll still go after him. And your sister. So go ahead, go and tell the cops. It will just make it more entertaining for me...**

–

My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I heard someone knocking on my door. I go towards the kitchen. There was a dead body on the floor.

There was more knocking.

The smell of blood fuckin filled the place. My head was pounding my ears.

I want it to stop.

I kept hearing the knocking and I kicked the body over. It was a blonde girl. The one that lives here alone in one of the apartments.

Her name is Neru. I remember. She goes to my high school. We walked to school together. She would nag me to have conversations on our walks. And she was always glued to her cellphone. I would drown her out with my headphones...

BAM BAM BAM!

Shit. I nearly jump from the sound. Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit shit.

I step over her and reach for the kitchen drawer and saw a single bloody knife. I took it.

The loud knocking on the door continued as I slowly made my way to it. I tried to control my breathing. I never felt so fucking jumpy. So fucking scared. I keep telling myself that this was some crazy ass dream.

"Hey Yuuuuuuma! It's me Gumi-chan!"

I stop.

Oh yeah. It's just Gumi. Yeah... she's always bugging me. It's no big deal. Nothing to worry about...

I place my hand to my face, and started to laugh out of relief. I noticed the bloody knife I had and threw it somewhere inside the house. I can hear it clatter as it hit the wooden floor.

"Stop fucking knocking down my door!" I barked.

"Sorry, my bad," I heard the voice giggle.

I opened the door just a crack and saw her in her usual outfit. With a mini skirt that was way to short for comfort.

"Back off my door." I growled.

She hopped a couple of steps back, and then I just carefully let myself out. I made sure the door was closed behind as stared at her, "What do you want?"

"I saw people come in your place before you came home. They looked pretty shady," She said.

She's pretty damn nosey. Damnit, what am I going to do? The hell, but she's the only lead I have right now. Although... Wait, what? People? More than one?  
>"How did they look like?" I asked carefully.<p>

"I knew you didn't know!" Gumi placed her hands on her hips, "Because I figured, nah Yama-san isn't the type to have _those kinds_ of people coming over."

"Tell me who they are," I pressed.

"Nope!" She twirled around, "I ain't telling!" she started to walk away.

Shit. You know what? Fuck it. I'll just let her walk away. I don't want to risk it. I have a dead body in my apartment for crying out loud. She's just gonna freak out and call the cops.

I turned around and walked back inside my apartment. I can't stay here for the night. What am I going to do? What the hell am I going to do? Okay, Yuuma think. Just think...

I let my back rest on the door and slowly sink to the floor. I could smell the dead body from here now. Soon enough the stench is going to spread out to the other apartments.

Think Yuuma. Think.

Relax and think. I thought about the letter.

_He shouldn't have died... _

Is he talking about Grandpa?

_ I'll take back what belongs to me..._

Wait...

Shit. It can't be him, it _can't _be...

* * *

><p>My earliest memory was sitting on my grandpa's knee. I was four or three, and he told me stories that his grandpa started telling <em>him<em> when I was that age. My fam is one of those super-traditional-families-with-the-mumbo-jumbo-secrets. I might look like the rebel type that don't believe in any of that shit, but actually it's kinda of the opposite.

I'm the rebel that still believes in it.

Lemme explain.

Sometime really long ago, there was no such thing as music. Everyone saw the world in shades of grey. A girl with my family name, Yamaha, was born with a speech impediment. She couldn't express what she felt to people around her. Because of that, she was pretty much ignored. So, she spent most of her time at a shrine, praying to the gods, and whatnot. The monks there gave her a room and let her stay there.

Eventually they gave her a job as cleaning lady, dusting off old Shinto statues. One day, tired from a long day's work, she decided to take a nap in a room of an unnamed shrine. In the middle of the night, a huge gust blew through the room shuddering her awake. She looked about bewildered and shit, but couldn't see anyone. Suddenly, she started to hear the strangest thing in the world.

Music.

It was beautiful and weird as hell. She quickly got up and looked around trying to figure out where the heck it was coming from. Concentrating, she found out that it came from inside her. As soon as she realized it, the voice began to speak to her.

–

_I am the spirit of music_

_The sound of emotion_

_And I have chosen you, to spread my gift to your people_

–

At the foot of the statue she saw small decorated box that she'd never seen before. It was a gift from the Music Spirit as proof of their meeting. Inside of it were four treasures, an ehru, a shakuhachi, the fan, and the wakizashi.

Each of the things meant something.

The ehru and the shakuhachi are the instruments to teach people music.

The fan stood to symbolize poise and multiple interpretations, one melody, that music itself has. A fan hides a person's face, and so does one song; illusive and never revealing it's original intentions even to the very creator of that song...

The wakizashi stands for protector, and expresses the powerful impact that music has in people. Like a katana, it pierces the soul.

And so because of her, the gift of music was spread all over. From generation to generation, great music teachers came from my family. The heir of the family was the one who "received", or could "hear" the music spirit and was the one who got the family heirloom passed down through the centuries.

Where the hell am I going with this?

Well...

Fast forward to modern times. When my old man was little, he wasn't "chosen" by the Spirit. So my Grandpa held on to the treasures. This never sat well with him. He tried everything to prove him that he was worthy. He excelled in music and even became a really good music producer. He started his own music record label. But still, my Gramps didn't feel he was the one.

Then, my old man got hitched, and that's when Mizki came along. Right away, when Grandpa saw her, he knew that she was the one. When my sister was old enough, he taught her how to play the ehru. They would both spend a lot of time together. My guess was that my old man wasn't too happy with that.

Seven years after she was born, I came along. My mother named me Yuuma, after my gramps, in spite of the grudge he held against gramps, my mother was close to him. The biggest surprise was that he saw it in me too. But my sister was given the birthright. However, my gramps let me have the shakuhachi and the wakizashi.

My old man was pissed, like fucking hell. Growing up, just mentioning words "treasures" and "music spirit" was a curse word at my house. He stopped believing in it. No, more like, he didn't want to believe in it anymore. He pushed Mizki into the music business at an early age.

My gramps wasn't too happy about that, he hoped for her to be a music instructor. Gramps told me to not let my gift be exploited as well. He would always tell me that, we were protectors of honest expression in song. But the music biz nowadays, he says, is tainted by commercialism. And that my old man was making her advertize soft drinks and stuff.

I could remember the summers that me and my sister would spend at gramps house in the countryside... sitting between my sister's legs; she would cuddle me. I remember craning my head back to see her face as she looked ahead at the field of flowers... I had always felt so safe with her. Because I felt that she would always protect me from our old man. I remember the little songs she use sing to put me to sleep. And how we use to play together in those summers with grampa while the sun goes down...

Okay, so now I'm getting the point of all this...

My gramps also owned this old gym in the city. It was a music school-slash-dojo. We were music instructors but our family back in the day used to produce really strong _kenshi_, swordmen, throughout the years. One family of old swordsmen is the Kamui family. I think the head of the family is into the modeling biz now. Go figure.

Gramps wasn't there all the time, casually staying for some weeks and then going back to the main house in the country. One of his most troublesome students in the dojo was a guy named, Shion Taito. He was a nice guy... but he was kinda "special". And when I mean "special" I mean he was missing a couple of screws. He loved to hear Gramps play with the shakuhachi. It seemed to always calm him whenever he would go berserk. He adored him to death. Maybe a little too much.

Things were starting to get tense in the house. When I was six my father tried to take me to auditions in the studio. I always found a way to avoid them. I remember screaming at him telling him what what hell was wrong with him. It got so bad that he decided to wipe me from existence. At least from the papers. In his mind, I was no longer his son. He threatened Mizki that he would do the same to her if she rebelled. But she didn't, in fact, she switched over his side.

As proof, she burned both treasures: The ehru and the shakuhashi.

I've never cried so much in my life. I clung on her skirt crying. And she shoved her foot against the crown of my head and scolded me.

"GROW UP!"

She could have burned her erhu, but she took what my grandpa gave **me**, the shakuhashi. I loved that thing more than life itself. Apparently, that was more than enough proof for him and his treatment of her improved tremendously. Now what did my mom did in all this? Nothing. She never does anything. She just watches. She obviously knew what my father was doing was wrong, but she never did anything about it. I started to hate her for that. I started to hate all of them.

The details were shady because I was a kid at the time, but I remember that my Gramps was having trouble with managing the gym. My old man wanted to buy it off of him, but Grandpa would never let him have it. He gave it to Taito. Yes him.

I don't remember. I was never there to witness it all. But I knew that whenever my old man talked to Gramps it ended up in an argument. When I was ten years old, I heard news of his death. He died of a heart attack. We had the funeral at his house. I cried so damn much. The most painful part of it all was that I didn't have my shakuhashi to play his favorite song. I could hear the music play at my ears, but I didn't have that instrument to play at his funeral. And I cried.

After it was over, we walked outside. The whole family, aunts, uncles the whole shebang. Even the Kamui family and other families of former music students were there too. That Taito guy wasn't there though. I figured that he wasn't informed. Because I knew he wouldn't have missed it.

I found it weird that everyone was standing outside just looking at the house, and just then, just suddenly the house started going up in flames. I freaked out. Because I knew that the box with the fan and wakizashi was still inside.

I ran in towards the house. The Kamui head of the family... ugh... Gakupo think his name was... chased me into the house. He told me that it was dangerous. When I told him what I was looking for, he decided to help me. We went through the place until we found the box. Together we managed to escape.

I saw my old man's face when I came out. It looked like he was possessed by demons. Surprisingly, no one else seem to notice.

Well, it turned out I was right. Taito had no idea that gramps had died. Now without no one to stop him, my old man took the gym from Taito. By force. He closed down the music school and the dojo. He used the money to fund his record label. The place was changed to be a storage house. Taito time and time again tried to come in contact with him. One day in the summer I saw him sitting outside the front of our mansion waiting for someone to speak with him. He sat there composed just waiting. It was raining, one of those crazy fuckin summer storms. Soak to the bone, he was just waiting.

I felt sorry for him. But I knew my old man. He was stronger than any iron will. This ain't no fuckin anime. Just being stubborn and righteous won't make my old man change his mind. His hate is greater than anyone's determination. I took an umbrella and went outside.

I walked up to him and tilted my umbrella over him. He looked at me when I did so.

"Give up. He will never listen to you."

I must of flipped some kind of switch in his head, cuz his face just contorted as he grabbed me. The umbrella fell the the floor. I tried to fight back but he was twenty-something, and I was just a ten year old imagine. I didn't stand a chance.

One of the security guards manged to come in time and shot his leg. More came and basically forced him to walk off the premises. He calmed down real quick and just walked off, dragging his leg as he went. Years later I overheard that he was killed. Some gang fight or something. That's the last I ever heard of him.

It's been three years since then.

* * *

><p>I stand up and walked back to my room. Back to the opened box. The letter was there on the floor in front of it and I picked up again.<p>

It _can't _be him, but I can't imagine anybody else. Shion Taito is dead. There could be the chance that he may still be alive.

Wait. I heard he has a brother...

I have to find him.

Yes. That's right. That's where I'm going to start. I know that Mizki told me—

I dug into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. I looked through it to pull out a shiny platinum bank card.

—that they deposited a sum of money for me in an account. I'll use it to book a room at some motel. I can crash there for now. As for the body, I'mma leave it as is. There's nothing I could do for now. It's a possibility that they might pin the murder on me...

I sighed.

I don't give a rat's ass. My life is fucked up anyways.

I turn around walked out of the room, as I pass the kitchen, I stared at the corpse. I walked up to it, ignoring the smell, and knelt down to it. I place a small kitchen towel over the face, and closed my eyes

"I'm sorry," said to her, "I don't have anything left but my voice now, but I hope it's enough for you..."

I felt my eyes sting after I closed them. And just as quickly the melody started to blow through me as I began to sing.

–

_Life cuts across time,  
>And while becoming calm,<br>Cuts eternity's records,  
>Into two overlapping spirals and dies,<em>

–

_I'll recite  
>This song<br>And carve a moment's memory  
>Into people's hearts <em>

–

_al a re laye  
>al a re layo<br>al a re laya  
>al a reya... <em>  
>–<p>

_Life cuts across time,  
>And while becoming calm,<br>Cuts eternity's records,  
>Into two overlapping spirals and dies,<em>

–

_I'll recite  
>This song<br>And carve a moment's memory  
>Into people's hearts <em>

_ –_

_ arare raie  
>arare raiyo<br>arare raiya  
>arareiya... <em>

–

I heard the wavering timbre of my voice at the end of my last word and I fell into a fit of quiet sobs. I couldn't stop the tears.

It wasn't fair. She barely knew me. And she just waited me to fit in. She could have been my friend. I could have known more about her. But now she's dead and it was all my fault.

I wrapped my around arms myself and as I gasped for more air. The smell, the dried blood nothing bothered me anymore. I was reminded again of my grandpa's funeral, I how badly I wanted to play my shakuhashi. Now it wasn't that. I just wanted someone to have heard my song. Someone to acknowledge my tribute to her.

"Oh god..."

I stopped my heart froze in white hot fear as I turned my head around. I saw Gumi standing behind me, her mouth was muffled as I saw tears fall down from her eyes. I turn my head back around and fell in silence. I said nothing.

I could feel her knelt behind me as she placed her hands on my shoulders. She rested her head on the back of my shoulder and I felt the wetness from her cheeks.

"What a beautiful voice," I could hear her murmur, "Please sing it again..."

A single tear streamed down my eye, as I steady my voice to fulfill her request.

–

Later, I packed up, and we both left. She said she knew of a good place for me to stay. I decided to trust her. Cuz in truth I had no one that this point.

**END CHAPTER**

* * *

><p><strong>Author Notes<strong>

* * *

><p>shakuhachi - A Japanese flute made out of bamboo<p>

Ehru - two stringed instrument originates from China.

Before you ask, the song is "Tsumugi Uta" aka "The Spinning Song". Best cover was sung by Kaito, in my humble opinion... second place winner is Keine Ron. He's voice is pretty awesome. But I would have wished have heard VY2 Yuuma singing a cover for this song as well... *fangirlish sigh*

Bad bad birdies! All of you! I asked you guys to give your opinion of Gumi's personality and none of you gave me anything! *pouts* Well, I've formulated my own opinion of her already, whatever. Take or leave it, you guys will have to put with my Gumi from now on :P

All of Yuuma's family history is mostly made of out of my hyperactive imagination. I'm actually working on it a little to present it in another fanfic called _Mirror Stone_. It's still going to take place in the same city (Vocaloid City) but it's no where connected to this story. Even the ages of the characters in _Mirror Stone _will be changed to suite the storyline. For example, the Kagemine twins will be older (17) and Kaito will be younger (22). And so on and so forth. All I can say for now is that I'm planning to write a one shot version of that soon. I will keep you guys posted.

Oh so you know, I like writing about relationships with psychopathic killers. My Bleach fanfic (Gin/Ruki) called "The Art of Manipulation" is about just that. Gin is a killer that unexpectedly falls in love with Rukia. I just found it kind of funny how I have now have not one, but two similar relationships in this story. XDD It's probably the fates reminding me to update that story...

* * *

><p>Chapter 13 Preview<p>

* * *

><p>Gaku sang this time, taking up her arms and dancing with Luka in circles. Luka smiled and continued to sing with him. Their voices melded together in perfect harmony, I smiled and slowly walked out to leave them in their moment.<p> 


	13. Creepy Luka and the Final Response

**Vocaloid POV**: Miku Hatsune

* * *

><p><strong>13th Song – Creepy Luka and the Final Response<strong>

* * *

><p>"Hello~"<p>

My voice carried inside the large somewhat empty house.

"It's me, Miku. I'm home from school..." I called once more.

Looking around, I started to hear a faint sound somewhere deep within the household. It sounded like old accordion music. The type you hear in those freak-show circus performances. As I get closer to one of the miscellaneous rooms, I can hear someone's voice singing.

–

_Phantom dollllll... __  
><em>_ Coooold doll..._

–

I slowly open the door which was already opened to a creak, to take a peek. Luka was inside dancing with a small naked porcelain doll. It was ball jointed with a giant head that was ill-proportioned for the small body.

Luka loves collecting dolls. She has a huge collection at her house, she started collecting them since childhood. She's learned how to make clothes and accessories for them. She'd ordered two of them to look like Len and Rin. Because she said that she always wanted twins of her own. When Len saw his version, his face turned blue. Rin thought hers looked awesome.

–

_ Phantom dolllll...  
>Ghoooost dolllllll...<em>

–

She wore an old Victorian-esque dress, dark blue with a white hem, and a large rose, brooch up to the side in the typical Lolita style. The stitches were visible giving the dress that patchy Tim Burton-ish vibe. She twirled with her beloved doll which was "Lenny" by the way. I found it so entertaining to watch that I couldn't help but smile. I knew anyone would have found it to be completely freaky. But I've known Luka for so long, that nothing really surprises me at this point.

I hadn't noticed that I actually started opening the door wider bit by bit. Or that there was someone who walked up behind me. When I felt his hand land on my shoulder, I craned my head up looking to my right to see that Gaku-kun had arrived, possibly from work. He sighed as he placed his free hand over his face.

"Ahh.. Miku," he extended his arm towards Luka who just finished an excellent twirl, "This is my girlfriend. Could you believe it?"

I giggled, "Yup,"

He smiled back at me. He stepped pass me and walked up to her. I just stood and watched as he took the Lenny from her hands and carefully put it down on the shelf. She gave him a rather indifferent look, as if had he had spoiled her fun, but it only made him smile wider.

–

_Tristen Dollllll __  
><em>_ Schwarzen Dolllll..._

–

Gakupo sang this time, taking up her arms and dancing with Luka in circles. Luka smiled and continued to sing with him. Their voices melded together in perfect harmony, I smiled and slowly walked out to leave them in their moment.

Luka and Gakupo have been together for a long time now. And they have known each other for an even longer time. She told me once that Gakupo's family as well as hers, are families that have been in contact with each other for years.

I walked to my room, humming to myself as I collect my clothes that I will wear after my bath. Today has been a very long day. I thought about Yuuma-san.

I hope that I'll be able to be a good friends to him. As person that is related to a celebrity, I wish to be someone he could relate to and vise versa.

Once in the bathroom, I begin to undress as I turn on the warm water to let the bath fill. I undo the ties to my hair and carefully move my teal colored mane over my shoulder as I seated myself within the bathtub. I let my hair soak into the water and I see as the light from the bathroom cause the water to reflect the color of my hair.

It reminds me of the ocean.

I laid back and closed my eyes...

This passing summer I went with my mother, Luka and Gakupo to a small resort in the Dominican Republic. I met a really nice guy named Bruno. He was a local that sang to the tourists for money. The resort employees would often chase him off, but he'd always sneak back in with a playful smirk on his face and his trusty hat.

Since we spoke two different languages it was hard to speak to each other. But he always found a way to get most of his points across. He knew a couple of words in Japanese.

–

"_Una _hana_ para una __hermosa mujer,"_

–

He was such a flirt, but the girl he really liked was a pretty Mexican girl named Clara. She also happened to be staying in the resort. That's the funny thing about vacations, when you go, it feels like you've landed on a different planet. As if all the situations and events at home seemed like another lifetime.

My mother says that she's planning on coming back there next summer. She really enjoyed herself. I wonder if I'll see him again and if things went well with Clara... I sighed. That's a really random thought, but I always seem to get random thoughts whenever I'm in the bath.

Bruno was someone who loved to sing. He loves music, he said that he always felt alive whenever he was performing on stage, and it would show whenever he stood up in front of others. I envied him so badly for that. Because I want to be able to live such a free-spirited life the way he lives it. Everyday for him was an adventure. He wasn't afraid to dare himself to do the craziest things.

And he egged me to do the same.

I sat up in my tub suddenly, with inspiration.

I need to seek him out. I need to find Kaito, and get answer from him once and for all! So then my soul can fully rest in peace. I know Luka is against it, but I'll sneak out of the house and find him tonight. I know that's what Bruno would have done!

Yosh! It's decided.

After stepping out of the tub, and lasting an eternity drying out my hair; I dress up in a casual pants and baggy tee, and head downstairs. It was dinner and saw Luka dressed normally as she placed what looked like platter of lasagna on the table.

"Wow, Luka!" I gasp, "That looks really good!"

Luka turned and saw me approach the table, "Yes, it's made with eggplant, cheese, ground beef, pasta and spaghetti sauce."

"Really?" I gave Luka a mischievous smirk, "Did Gaku-kun manged to convince you into doing this?"

She laughed, "Ah no, I did it willingly, actually." Her face suddenly turned a bit serious, "There's something I have to tell him, but I'm rather nervous about his reaction..."

I blinked. Now that I'm thinking about it, Luka has been acting strange for the past week or so.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to announce it over dinner tonight. I've also invited Meiko to come over today. So please be on your best behavior." With that, I saw her continue to prepare the dinner table.

Gakupo walked in with more plates and utensils. He saw me looking rather pensive, and after putting down the dinnerware he had in hand, he walked up to me.

"What's on you mind, Miku?" He questioned.

"Eh?" I showed him a rather nervous smile, "Ah it's nothing! Just thinking, that's all..."

He seemed to frown a bit until he heard Luka calling him to go check on the steamed vegetables she left in the kitchen. After he left, Luka gave me kind of a hard look. I nervously sighed. It's not like I was going to tell him anything. She's probably really nervous if she's making him a dish with his favorite vegetable.

The house echoed with the elaborate ringing of the doorbell.

"Ah that must be Meiko," Luka called.

"I'll get it!" I called as I started rushing towards the door.

I looked through the peephole and sure enough I saw a woman in a long mahogany trench coat holding a large bottle of sake in her hands. I opened the door and once our eyes met, she smiled.

Wow, she was beautiful. She had a mature womanly look, soft brown eyes and hair that embraced her neck. She gave me a brilliant smile and when she spoke, she had a voice that picked up my spirits.

"Ah, you must be Miku-chan! Luka told me loads about you! My name is Sakine Meiko, but call me Mei." she petted my head with her gloved hand, "Ah, you're so cute! You remind me of myself when I was your age!"

I smile and took the coat she handed to me.

"Uwahhh! This place is huge!" she walked and looked about the foyer, a curious smile ever present on her face.

"Luka is in the dining room," I added as politely as I could.

Meiko grinned, "Ah no need to be so uptight, the dining room you said? Where's that?"

I step up and walked past her, "This way," I said as I opened a door and she followed.

Meiko on entering the dining room saw Luka setting the last of the silverware and smiled. They both approached each other excitedly. I tilted my head a bit, in confusion as I sat them whisper to each other in a hushed urgent matter.

Oh. Now I see. Meiko must know what Luka didn't want to tell me yet. Are they that close? Well, from what I know, I rarely see Luka spend time with other people her age besides Gakupo. I've always got the impression that she has trouble making friends, because her quiet and weird tenancies.

That's good. I'm glad I was wrong.

Gakupo came out of the kitchen, being called by Luka in order to introduce him to her.

Oh, I guess I forgot to mention, he was wearing Luka's pink apron that had a cute smiley tuna fish on the front pocket.

"Meiko, this is Kamui Gakupo," said Luka in her calm warm tone.

Gaku smiled as he slightly bowed in front of Meiko, "It's a pleasure to meet you Sakine-san. I've heard much about you from Luka."

Meiko looked horrified as her hand stifled a gasp.

Everyone including myself, looked at her in total confusion.

"Oh my god! You're so beautiful!" She backed off in terror, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Gakupo started to nervously laugh, "Well... that's a new reaction..."

"But Meiko, I've sent you pictures of him from his shoots... Why are you so surprised?" Asked Luka perfectly composed.

Meiko raised a shaky finger in Gakupo's direction, "W-well I thought most of that was photoshop and what not! But he looks like he just stepped out of a magazine!"

Luka turned and stared at her boyfriend, "Really?"

"Ah really, please, it's quite flattering, but I believe you are stretching things a bit," Gakupo said while rubbing the back of his head.

"And he's modest!" Meiko grabbed Luka and pulled her aside right where I was standing. We formed a little circle with our heads leaned towards each other. I felt a little bad for Gaku-kun, who just looked on with a hopeless look in his frilly apron.

"You have to tell me now, does he have a brother? A cousin?" hissed Meiko in a harsh whisper.

"Well, he's an only son, and as for cousins he has a few, but most of them are actually women." Luka explained.

"And Gaku-kun, isn't actually _that _modest. He's kinda full of himself a lot of the time," I added, "I think you just shook him up a bit."

"Hmm... I see. I'm sorry you guys. He kinda caught me off guard. Damn, I see why you get jealous sometimes." replied Meiko crossing her arms underneath her bust.

"I don't get _jealous_," Luka corrected with a flustered look, "I just get worried sometimes. He never likes to disappoint others. A lot his female fans has formed this fantasy about him, and he often doesn't like to ruin it for them..." she pouted a bit.

"In other words you don't like it when he flirts with other women," Meiko clarified.

And I nod in agreement. Because that's what it was. Gaku never likes to see a girl sad, and for that reason he makes every woman feel like she's is the most beautiful person in the world. He's like that. Not that he's a womanizer or anything. But it's so easy to confuse it for that. I don't know how far he has gone to please a random female stranger, but I've heard stories. And they're all very sweet.

But it often makes Luka wonder if in fact he treats her the way he treats any other woman. I believe that he doesn't. I know so. I know that he loves her very much. But I also understand Luka. And sometimes, when it's just me and Gakupo; I try to explain that to him. But he's kinda stubborn.

"Let's not talk about this now..." Luka said as she took the sake bottle from Meiko, "Take a seat at the table.

I saw Gakupo walk up to Luka. He seemed worried and whispered to her. Of course I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I saw Luka wave her hand off as if nothing.

"Don't worry it was just us women, chit chatting..." she said out loud.

I saw him look towards me and Meiko and I smiled back at him to reassure him that Luka was right.

"Ahhh... must be nice living in this big house and all..." Sighed Meiko looking at the décor of the dining room, once she was settled in her seat at the dinner table.

"It is comfortable, I guess..." I said, sitting in the chair beside her.

"I guess? Of course it is!" Meiko exclaimed. I nearly jumped in my seat. She's so lively. I wonder, did she have something to drink before coming here? She does smell little bit like alcohol. It was a unique scent mixed with perfume. It was actually a good smell, is that weird to say? She doesn't look drunk at all. Not even tipsy. In that case, she must hold her drink well.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I-I don't know?" I asked feeling confused.

Meiko just laughed, "Come on, I know you aren't some timid speaking damsel,"

I noticed Meiko's brown eyes look at me curiously. And while they did so, I wondered what she could be thinking about...

"Ah the lasagna looks very tempting, I'm really looking forward to trying it," Gakupo smiled as he settled on the table in the chair next to Luka.

"I'm glad to hear that," she then turn to face us at the table, "Let's all say grace before we begin."

After a silent moment of reverence, we all start passing plates and serving ourselves the meal displayed elegantly over the surface of the table.

Well for one, I pile a ton of steamed vegetables on my place. Call me the weirdest girl on the planet. But I love the taste of vegetables. Broccoli and the sharp taste of onions, the strange taste spinach has and how it blends with the flavor of whatever meat it's mixed with. I loved them all. I then served myself some of Luka's eggplant lasagna.

It was very, very good. I really didn't talk, as the adults around me began to engage in conversation while I ate.

"So Sakine-san, what do you do for a living?" Gakupo asked before he scooped a mouthful of the lasagna, which by the way, he was enjoying immensely.

"I work for a talent agency," Meiko replied quite causally as she poured herself a cup of sake.

"Oh so you scout for up-coming actors and musical artists?" Gakupo questioned further.

"Well, that's what my agency does, but I just train and push paperwork in the office." Meiko chuckled, "There are others that do the scouting—not me. _That_ job is a pain in the ass. Trust me,"

Gakupo sighed, "Don't know, but for some reason your face looks familiar to me, Sakine-san..."

Meiko leaned back on her chair and smirked, "Guess. Just guess..." she then pointed to Luka, "And DON'T say anything, Luka. I wanna see him figure it out..."

Luka's lips thinned as she decided to continue eating.

Now even I was starting to get curious to see what Meiko was talking about.

Gakupo took the sake bottle and also served himself in a small shot glass, "Mmmm... wait, give me a moment. I think I can figure it out..." after taking a small sip. Gakupo remained for a moment staring at Meiko's face. His eyes narrowed analytically as his lips curled up at the ends in a playful smirk.

It was a moment of silence that settled over the table and Luka was beginning to show signs of jealousy.

"If you don't know—than just say so." Luka chastised to Gakupo glaring at him.

Gakupo jolted in his seat sensing Luka's rising anger, "Ah.. no wait... you were on TV. As a idol singer?"

Meiko grinned widely from ear to ear. "Yup! I was one of those teeny-bop stars back when I was her age," Meiko finalized pointing a finger at me, "I was quite the craze back then, but alas... it was short lived." she sighed as she chugged down her cup.

"Yes! Yes! I believe that I had one of your single CD's. Wow, what a small world. I never imaged that you would be such a honest down to earth person."

"Well, I never imagined that a super sexy model was actually an old fan of mine. So let's call it even," Meiko chuckled.

I couldn't help but smile, Meiko was so fun to listen to. I found it quite entertaining how she kept pointing out that Gakupo was a good looking person.

But wow. Mei-chan was once an idol singer! That's my forbidden dream... She keeps turning into a more amazing person as the night goes on...

"Well, I'd like to make an announcement," Luka blurted matter of factly.

Gakupo looked over to her in genuine curiosity, "What is it my love?"

"About damn time," Meiko grinned.

I felt at a loss, and just as curious to know as Gakupo. Or perhaps even more.

Luka in all seriousness looked over to Gakupo as she placed both hands over her womb, "My body is creating a doll of it's own," she said, "Our doll."

Gakupo's eyes went wide as he slightly paled.

"OMG, Luka, you're having a baby!" I stood up so quickly I didn't even notice when I had accidentally knocked over the chair as my hands slammed over the surface of the table.

I could tell Meiko still felt startled at Luka's choice of words.

"Oh jeeze, Luka—creepy much?" Meiko blurted, "Such a weird way to say it..."

It seemed that both of our voices, Meiko's as well as mine, were tuned out of Gakupo's mind as it look like he never had even heard us in the first place. He was silent as he continued to stare at Luka.

Her hand slipped over Gakupo's as she softly smiled and Gakupo's ridged expression slowly relaxed.

"Are you sure?" he asked slowly.

She silently nodded, "I went to the doctor's to confirm, and the results came back positive."

His hand gripped tightly to hers as he softly began to smile back at her.

The whole dining room was filled with their silence. I felt that if I exhaled it would ruin the moment. The feeling was heavy, palpable even.

Luka breathed out nervously, "I know, I know that we had never talked about this properly, and this is all completely unexpected, and, and..."

"It's alright." Gakupo spoke as he placed his other hand on top of hers. I quickly and quietly picked up my tumbled over chair and sat down.

"It's alright, Luka," he repeated, "We will figure this all out," he raised his hand and rested it on her cheek, "Besides, you are the one I plan to spend the rest of my life with."

Luka smiled softly, the clear blue eyes reflecting with brimming tears.

"Okay! Let's celebrate!" Meiko boomed, "You have more sake?" she asked Luka.

I just smiled, I felt so happy for them.

"Sakine-san, I don't think it's fair for Luka, if we'd start drinking like this," added Gaku as he looked at Luka.

"It's alright, I'm a big fan of alcohol anyways..."

"I don't drink either," I added.

"Aww poo!" Meiko whined, "Drink with me Gakuuu pleasseee!"

We all laughed.

Time went by and conversations flew as the plates were passed around and dishes emptied.

"Ah Luka, this lasagna is very good. I enjoyed every bit of it!" Gakupo smiled as he downed the last cup of alcohol.

"You could come and hang with me at this bar I go all the time with my friends. You can really hold your liquor," Meiko grinned.

Gaku's cheeks were slightly flushed as he leaned forward on the table with a daring narrow-eyed stare, "Hoooo, so I'm guessing you want to try to out drink me then?"

"Try? Eh, more like I will! I'm just stopping here, for ol' Luka-chan's sake."

"Yes, please," began Luka in composed manner as she dabbed her lips with her cloth napkin, "You two drink anymore and we won't have any bottles in the liquor cabinet."

"Oh don't tell me, that's what's bothering you, my love!" sang Gakupo, "I can buy you a fountain and have it spew the finest wine, rivaling the ambrosia of the Greek Gods..."

"Fucking yes!" cried Meiko, "Omg, you should do it!"

"I should, shouldn't I?" Gaku grinned, "And every month change it to a different type of alcohol"

"Yes, Yes!" Meiko chimed.

"Will you two, stop it?" hissed Luka, "You both sound like children..."

Gakupo slipped his arm around Luka and looked into her eyes, "Perhaps, it'd be the way you see things, because of the miracle of life which now grows within you," He raised his empty cup, "Miku! Go forth and bring me a bottle of _Le Pinot Noir _! We need to celebrate!

I nervously laughed, "Uh... that's mother's favorite wine, I don't think I should..."

"Of course you won't," Luka cut in, "Don't listen to him."

"Awwww! Why?" Meiko complained, "I wanna try it!"

Luka slowly shook her head, "This is not good at all..." she then looked at me, "Miku go into the kitchen and get me rat poisoning, in the cleaning closet there."

I stood up, "Okay,"

As soon as I walked away from the table I could feel the atmosphere die behind me. I covered my mouth and suppressed a giggle.

"Ah.. look that the time, it's already pretty late," Gaku commented looking at his watch.

"What's the matter? Don't you want to keep drinking?" Luka asked quite normally.

Gakupo nervously laughed, "Woman, I have no doubt in my mind that if I do, you will poison me..."

Luka sweetly smiled and lightly kissed him in the cheek, "And that is why I love you. You understand me completely."

"Uhhh... okay... well," Meiko stood up, "Gotta go... I'll leave you guys... I gotta come into work tommorow..." she groaned. After standing, she looked over to me and smiled, "It was nice meeting you Miku-chan,"

I nodded and returned her smile with one of my own.

I could tell that she seem to ponder a bit her eyes lingered over me for that tiny moment. She then patted my head and then said her goodbyes to Luka and Gaku. I helped them both pick the dishes and clear the dining room. Wash off the excess food on the dishes to load them in the dish washer and put away the left overs.

I saw that afterward, Luka and Gakupo seemed very clingy to each other and quite distracted as we all finished our chores. In the end Gakupo stayed over and slept in the same room as Luka of course.

I walked back into my room and sat on my bed. I didn't change into my pajamas yet as I began to ponder on what to do next.

I was so full from dinner, my body was beginning to lull me to sleep. And the prospect of walking in the dark streets on a chilly December night can may anyone lazier. I started to think that maybe I should give up on sneaking out altogether.

Afterall, if I did such a thing, Luka would be all stressed out, and I can get her in trouble with my mother. Luka is expecting now, and she really isn't supposed to be stressing.

However, Gakupo is here, it's a prefect distraction for me to sneak out…. But where would I go? It's not like I know where Kaito lives….

My phone lights up with a text and I reach over to my nightstand situated on the right side of my bed to read it.

Speak of the Devil.

It was him.

He was replying to the last text I sent him. In it I asked him if he had held romantic feelings besides the sexual ones he already had about me...

–

_Yes.__ And I am confused on why I feel that way. To be honest, it kills me. I've been a mess. And I apologize. I've let my emotions run about without restraint. I played the role of the ignorant, and just __pretended. I know I'm just saying a bunch of things all mixed up and you might not get me but that's okay…. Truth is… I already have__ a__ feeling that you like me. But I don't want to return to those feelings to you because it's wrong. I like you too, but, you're too young. And I can't do this._

_Also, I had never remembered the promise I made you. I was roaring drunk, and when I woke that day, I failed to remember anything… I'm sorry…_

–

I lowered my cellphone to my lap after reading it. My heart just ran cold. Completely frozen in place, combined with a feeling of queasiness.

He suspected all along?

I took a deep breath.

But this is what I wanted. I wanted to know the truth. In a way, I was glad that he was honest. That he had said what he'd been keeping to himself this whole time. But it didn't change the fact that it hurted. He is the first guy that I consider more than a crush.

He is my first love.

So I couldn't help but feel hurt.

I couldn't help but let my eyes water, and let the tears fall down my cheeks.

They fell in drops over my hands that wrapped tightly around my cellphone. I hunched forward and bit my lip, as whines escaped my throat.

He said he likes me too.

But I creeped him out, because I'm too young for him. I know it's that. Some part of me still doesn't want to give up. But no. No. I can't do this. I have to respect his wishes. Besides, what if I embarrass myself further? What if? What if I end up hurting myself more?

I'm too scared. I'm too scared of getting this sick feeling again.

–

_I want to hold hands with you_

_No matter how much I have wished for it_

_These hands are empty_

_Hey, is this really a "farewell"?_

_You have to go,_

_I understand that_

_Even your kindness, I understand it_

_That's why…_

–

I reached my hands to my face and slapped my cheeks.

I have to let go of him, let go of these feelings. Standing up, I walked to my drawer and pulled out his scarf. I had intentions of throwing it away, but looking at it. I couldn't help but break into a melancholy smile. I was reminded of the moment when I asked about this scarf.

–

"Where did you buy it?" I asked as wrung my hands behind my back, "It looks very authentic," I stared closely at the scarf he wore one day. I noticed that he wore a different kind every time he came over to visit me. They were all blue, but the design and textures would vary from one to another.

"That's because, I didn't buy it," he said. His smile was very warm, "I made it."

I blinked in surprise, "You knit?" I asked. It's not everyday that you hear about a guy knowing how to knit.

He laughed, "Yes, I do..." he was still softly smiling as his picked up the tail of his scarf and showed me in detail the simplistic work of the knitted garment.

I followed his motion and looked down at what he showed me. When he spoke, I could hear his voice warm and deep speak above me.

"This is a stockinette stitch. It is a very good beginner's stitch. It helps you practice how to knit and purl because you're always alternating between the two for every row."

"Knit and purl?" I asked.

"Yes, those are two different techniques that are essential to knitting. Think of them as the ABC's of the knitting world."

I smiled, "Wow you know a lot don't you?"  
>To this, Kaito laughed, "Ah, no... Not really. I'm pretty much still a novice, actually. I'm still get stuck whenever I start working on the more complex stitches." he lightly tossed back the tail of his scarf and settled down on the sofa on the living room.<p>

I easily got comfortable by sitting next to him. I tucked my legs under my bent knees and I leaned close to him interest.

"What else have you made?"

He scratched the back of his head. I thought was imagining things when I noticed that his cheeks where slightly flushed. It made me blush too, and I realized that I was leaning too close to him, and I immediately jerked back to give us some reasonable distance.

"Ah, that's alright," he quickly said when he noticed my flustered reaction, "Um, well to be honest, the only thing I make are scarves. I find that they are easy, straightforward, and there's no sewing involved. And I love scarves, as you can tell." he laughed in the end.

"Is it hard to learn?" I asked.

"Well... I'm not going to lie, it's pretty tricky to catch on at first, but with persistence you'll find it to be very entertaining it keeps you busy and it's rather addicting." He commented honestly.

"Can you teach me?" I asked. I personally knew how to sew, but little things, like arm-warmers or patching up old skirts and t-shirts. However my real reason for asking, is so I can find a chance to bond with him. Just imagining him teaching me how to hold the knitting needles with his arms around me, made my heart skip a beat.

I saw him fiddle with his hands as he seem to think, he then looked at me and smiled, "Yes, of course, but you have to promise not to make fun of me..."

"Why would I do that?" I exclaimed.

To this he beamed a bright bashful smile. He looked so happy.

–

I silently wondered how honest were those smiles, that gentle disposition. I love them all. And it would kill me if he faked even one of those smiles, because they were the catalyst that caused me to sink so deep in these amorous feelings of mine.

If I ever fall in love with another man, I want them to have such wonderful smiles... though I doubt I'd ever, ever find someone that smile like him.

No, not ever.

For me, Kaito is one of a kind. A beautiful mysterious man, whose always wrapped in a scarf that flows so elegantly in the wind. Sometimes I do wish my mind would quit acting so overly dramatic. So overly romantic.

I sighed as I stuffed the scarf in the deepest regions of my enormous clothes. I may have given up on getting rid of it. But I don't want to see it ever again. Maybe like ten years later, after I'm married with kids, I could pull it and can look at it as a fond memory instead of a bitter reminder...

I walk back to my bed and picked up the phone.

Several times my fingers would move to keys but then hesitate. In the end, I made the sudden motion and I found myself composing a reply;

–

_Thank you for being so honest. I understand where you are coming from and I respect your __decision. But to be honest, I am very upset with you. You shouldn't have waited so long to tell me that you never remembered your promise. If course I would have been a little upset at first, but you had a prefect reason to not remember it. _

_ I guess it was my fault for assuming, huh?_

_ Well, I'm going to tell you now, since I never had the chance to tell it to your face. And though I would rather have said this in front of you, I doubt you would ever want to see me again..._

–

I paused to wipe the tears that gathered at the edges of my eyes. This was a long text, and as I was writing, I keep sending it all in parts.

–

_I am in love with you, Shion Kaito._

_ You are the first person to have ever made me feel this way. I thought, I had felt love before. But I know that before then, all I had ever been having are crushes. Love is such wonderful feeling. But it hurts a lot too. It feels like a feeling I have no control over. It that gives me energy and then comes back and eats me alive in misery and anxiety._

_ But don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm stronger than you think I am. And I guess what I'm trying to say with all this... is thank you._

_ Thank you for making me feel this way. Thank you for showing me how true love feels like. I hope to feel this way one day, and have that special someone return these feeling to me..._

–

I stopped because the tears that fell won't let me see the buttons anymore. I place down the phone, and threw myself back on my bed and turned my tear streaked face into my pillow. I started to cry more, unable to stop myself. I tried my best to muffle my cries. Because I didn't want anybody to hear me.

I know that perhaps they wouldn't hear me because of the solid walls and the distance from my room to Luka's. But I was too conscious of the sounds of my own cries. I don't remember, but eventually, I felt my body sink into sleep.

I hope that tomorrow will bring me things that will lift up my mood. I don't plan to show how upset I am over all of this. But in away, I'm glad it's all over. Even if it feels like I'm just hanging by a string...

END CHAPTER

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><p><strong>Author Notes<strong>

* * *

><p>Pinot Noir - a type of black grape wine, that originally is associated with the Burgundy region in France. I'm not at all a connoisseur of wines, but I do know that this type is known to be one of the freshest and hard-to-cultivate wines. It's personally on my bucket list to try before I die. ^w^;;;<p>

This chapter is an example of how I envision Luka and Gakupo's personalities. Luka for me really isn't a violent tsundere. In my mind she a very calm unusual person. She can be very intimating at times to others, but she never resorts to physical abuse. Her presence itself is able to instill fear in others. Gakupo is an admirer of women. Like a samurai he is noble and true to himself. He is the type of give a single flower to a random woman he meets in a subway station. Or give away an umbrella to a school girl who is stuck in the rain. I do see him sometimes get carried away in his own vanity and attention he gets from women and others. Long hair is naturally a sign of beauty and vanity.

Writing this chapter is a pain in the ass. It was worse than pulling teeth it was like amputating limb. TT_TT. But I do hope that it was a good read. I feel like it sucked. But I will try to make my future chapters make up for the lameness of this one...

No chapter preview this time, because I haven't finished it and is going throu some major edits. Wouldn't like to post any misleading information. LOL


	14. Drama Club

**Vocaloid POV**: Len Kagemine

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><p><strong>14th Song – Drama Club<strong>

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><p>I didn't sleep much last night; my mind was filled with thoughts about the play. As soon a Rin gave me that jump start, everything started to just come together in my head. I know that it's a simple skit, and that it shouldn't be longer than fifteen minutes, but I imagined such elaborate costumes and props… but most of all, I imagined sharing a kiss with Miku…<p>

I had sat up in my bed looking up to the stars as I pictured putting my arms around her. We're finally at the same height, and I know I'll get taller, because my father is six foot one. I pondered if I should start playing basketball, even though soccer has always been my favorite sport.

Nana, well her name is Miriam, by motherly instinct seemed to have developed over the years, knocked on my door and noticed that I couldn't get to sleep. She invited me downstairs. Over some chamomile tea, I told her about the play, and eventually my feelings about Miku.

It turns out she knew about my crush the whole time.

"It was so obvious," she said, "I can still remember, nine years ago when Miku first moved into that house across the street. After you met her you were so smitten by her you kept asking when she was going come over. Nagging and nagging and nagging—'Nana, is Mii-chan here? She said she was coming!'"

"Shut up!" I barked embarrassed, "I was only five and Rin kept taking my toys and throwing them in the garden pond in the backyard…." I crossed my arms, "She was no fun to play with back then…"

"Oh really, you were really comfortable with your sister, as a matter of fact you wouldn't do anything without her. You wanted Rin to play with Miku too, remember?"

"Yeah and Rin didn't want to…"

Nana took a sip of her tea, "Yes, because she felt jealous of the attention Miku was getting from you."

It was quiet for a moment because I began to be buried in those nostalgic thoughts of childhood. Miku was seven years old, she would come over often. All the childish dramas, happy/sad moments, we spent together. They were all the happiest moments of my life. I balled my hands into fists on my lap. I don't want it all just to stay as memories.

I want her to know that I love her. More than just a childhood friend, but as boyfriend. I want us three to be together forever and keep making more memories until the end of our lives…

Nana seem to let me contemplate as she quietly sipped her tea. Mines however, rested untouched.

"Len, drink your tea, it will help you relax," she commanded.

"Nana! I want you to help me with the play!" I cried.

Her eyes opened wide for a moment, I guess startled by my sudden booming voice, but then her facial features relaxed as she took the porcelain teapot and served herself more tea.

"Drink your tea, and then we'll keep talking."

I took the cup and shoved the drink down my throat in a single chug and almost slammed the cup back on the table. The entire time, Nana kept her composure, it wasn't the first time she came across my brash behavior.

"Okay, now we can talk," I barked as I saw Nana serve me a second cup.

"Indeed we can…" she began quite eloquently, "If you want to make this play the way you envision it, you will have to invest your own money into the project."

"Yeah…. I was thinking about that…" I pondered out loud.

"BUT, tomorrow you must talk to your club group leader and tell him your intentions with the play. You will need to have a cast that is willing to back you up, and once you have all of your playing cards, then, we will talk about money. You know how father is about spending money, right?"

I groaned, "Yeah… such a money pincher…" I pouted, "But he would never say yes, I thought you would just pull out the money from my savings or something…"

At this Nana got mad, "How many times do I have to tell you that those savings are for college! For all you know, that money doesn't exist!"

"Ugh… fine… I just don't want to give myself a reason to talk to him, it never ends well…"

"Don't worry. I have a plan… you just have to do your part…" Nana said.

"Really?" I leaned forward on the table excitedly.

"Drink your tea," she chastised, "And don't slam the silverware again, or I'll slam your skull against concrete."

"Yes, Nana…" I mumbled.

–

I was bobbing my head in sleep in the middle of algebra class and I was woken up by Hiyama sensei clearing his throat. He kept making that sound loud enough for me to snap out that half-asleep trance.

I looked at him annoyed, "Tch what's the matter? You got a beaver stuck in your throat?" I hissed.

He crossed his arms and looked at me. I kinda feel sorry for him. The students have been all over him since he started. Female students are hitting on him, boys are playing pranks on him and the senior teachers throw the most difficult tasks on him.

As for my rude remark, well, I'm kinda of a grouch when I'm sleepy. I'm sorry. I can't help it.

"All I ask is for you to stay awake in class, I don't want to send you to the office…" he said in a stern tone.

"Do whatever you want," I said with a casual wave of my hand, "I don't care… I just didn't get enough sleep, but I'll try to pay attention. Just don't start coughing up fur balls okay?"

The class broke out in giggles.

–

Somehow by some miracle of God, I managed to make it through the day. I stopped by my locker to put away some books so I meet up with Ron and Ppoiyo. I got a text from Rin saying that she's at the clubroom with Miku and I felt that shivery sickish feeling do twirls in my stomach. Will she like the skit? How will she feel when I tell her about the role she will play? Will she be okay sharing a stage kiss with me… ugh I wish it could be a real kiss…

"Look at 'im he's thinking about something nasty…"

I snap my head back into reality and notice Ron and Ppoiyo leaning against the wall of that hallway looking at me with amusement. Well Ron was doing most of the musing. Ppoiyo didn't seem to care. Sometimes I think he doesn't care about anything, for that matter.

"Shut up, Ron," I smirked as we did our handshake. Ron loved to poke fun at me but I know it's all in good fun. I sometimes gun on him too.

"Nah, but seriously, what were you thinking about?" asked Ron.

I just wave it off, "It's not important, so uh, what are you doing after club activities?"

Ron scratched the back of his head, "Actually I'm thinking about skipping choir practice, and just hit the mall again…"

"Come on, quit doing that," I pressed, "You have a good voice, and I don't think anybody despises you. So why?"

"I hate the teacher," came the abrupt response.

If there is something you need to know about Keine Ron, is that he doesn't do well with authority figures. He's like a rebellious dragon that will bite off the head of anything and anyone that steps into his threshold. But deep inside, he's actually a nice guy. I'm guessing his issues come from some problem he's had since childhood.

But these are only my assumptions; I've never brought it up to him, as much as I would have wanted to. We're friends, but not as close as he is to Ppoiyo. Sometimes I wish to be more included. However, he keeps a tight lid over himself and his true emotions; it's something that you notice right off the bat. At least I'm noticing that.

Well, Ppoiyo saw that I looked a bit ticked off Ron's apathetic attitude towards choir practice, and stepped in.

"Hey, Ron… why don't you come with us to the drama club? It's extremely laid-back there, and Len's got a really good idea for our skit that he's going to share today."

Ron scrunched up his nose in thought, "Ehhh… sure why not?" I saw him smirk and lock his arm around Ppoiyo's neck, "Sounds like you're gonna play a part, eh? Imagine you on stage! Sounds hilarious!"

"Ah shut, up Ron! It's not like it's going to be my first time on stage…."

"Well," I said jumping into the conversation, "If you're planning on coming, then lets go. Everyone is waiting for us as we speak…"

"Oh alright, but I wanna stop by the vending machine in the lunchroom," Ppoiyo interjected.

"I'll go," chimed Ron, "I owe you a drink anyways… Blueberry soda?"

"Yup won't have anything else… Come on Len, Ron will meet up with us in the clubroom."

"Alright," I said, "Sounds like a plan…"

I walked into the clubroom with Ppoiyo and I saw Miku sitting down on our regular small table while the other members of our rag-tag group where hanging about and just chatting and what not.

"Hey Miku…Where's my sister?" I asked looking around.

"Good afternoon Len," she then looked at Ppoiyo, "Good afternoon, Matsuda… Well," Miku directed her attention towards me, "She's worried about Miki, she won't answer any of her text messages…"

"So Rin just left?" I cried.

Miku frowned, "You can't blame her, she's worried about her friend…"

I covered my face feeling slightly embarrassed. I just sounded so heartless in front of Miku. It's just this play is so important to me, I didn't expect for Rin to just walk out on me like that.

"She told me to let you know when you came in," Miku added.

"What's going on with Furukawa?" Ppoiyo asked as he took his seat across from Miku. I took my seat next to her.

Good. While he's keeping conversation with Miku, I'll just mentally prep myself to present the play and my vision of the final product…"

"I'm not too sure, but I think Miki is worried about that friend she has…"

"Utatane…" I whispered.

"Do you know him?" Ppoiyo pressed, "How does he look like?"

I looked at him for a second. I think it's been the first time since I've seen him genuinely interested in something, "…He's this white haired kid. With an ahoge sticking out that's kinda like Miki's…"

Ppoiyo crossed his arms, his red eyes narrowing a bit in thought, "Don't think I've ever heard of him."

"Actually I heard rumors on how he was taken out of school and put into a home study program…" I added, "He was hardly at school to begin with. He causes Miki a lot of problems from what I hear…"

Ppoiyo looked at me, feeling bewildered at the fact that he didn't know. To be honest, his reactions where kind of creeping me out. As if on cue, Ron walked in with a bag of snacks. He tossed me a banana muffin, the soda for Ppoiyo. He had a small bento for himself.

He pulled out a chair next to Ppoiyo and looked at Miku with indifference, "Sorry didn't get you anything, donno what you like…"

"That's alright," she said smiling, "I brought my own snacks." She signaled by point to a bag she had set off to the side on the table.

I opened my notebook with my notes and looked them over, while I waited for Ron to settle down and maybe give Rin a chance of coming back. I could hear Ppoiyo whispering to Ron. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ron give his friend a look of deep concern as they both continued with their whispering.

Which made me think, what connection does Matsuda Ppoiyo have with Furukawa Miki?

"Alright chief, are we gonna start this thing or what?" Ron pressed, "I see little Miss Fu-Fu isn't back yet…" (He means Rin…)

"Yeah… I'm sure Ppoiyo told you why with all the mumbling you two are doing..." I sighed, "Okay, I guess I'll start." I looked over to Miku. She was unusually quiet the whole time. But she didn't seem to be upset or anything. So I decided not to press or ask questions. She's probably waiting for me to start anyways.

"I just wanna say before anything else, that I'm super serious about this play, I want it to be perfect. This is going to be my first year performing at the Holiday Concert. Not to mention that I wrote this myself."

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't interested," whined Ppoiyo while sticking his pinky in his ear. He knew I was directing my criticism at him. He's infamous at dropping projects at the last minute, "You gotta remember that I'm your sempai. I've got more experience in this group than you freshie…" He scowled.

Miku gave me a look that said, _He's right Len, you should respect your upperclassmen._ I had no choice but to apologize to Ppoiyo.

"I'm sorry, I'm just… really nervous about this…"

"So out with it!" hissed Ron, "You're making such a big deal, it's killing me to know already!"

"Fine, fine!" I pouted, "Okay, so this skit has to deal with angels and stuff, but it's a tragedy so it carries kind of a dark moody theme," I noticed how quiet the group became as soon as I started talking.

So then I continued, and explained the entire plot. At the end of it all, Miku was the first to speak.

"Len… this sounds good… really good," she whispered.

I tried not to, but I started smiling like an idiot.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool, it's dramatic, but it's cool. It's kinda got that '_Little Matchmaker Girl_' feel to it…" commented Ppoiyo.

"So who's playing what?" asked Ron already suspecting some of the roles in the play.

"Okay, there's the angel and her alternate form. The sinful woman and the vengeful angel. In other words, four roles. My sister agreed to be the angel, and I'm her counterpart since we're twins it's perfect… um…" I looked at Miku.

She just smiled, "I'm playing the sinful woman right?"

"I-if you don't mind…" I said, trying my best to hide my blush.

"It's only logical," Ppoiyo interjected, "She's the pretty girl with the long hair. Of course she'll play the part. I wanna be the guy who puts a bullet through her head…" at this he gave off a sinister smile.

Okay, forget apathetic, I think he's a closet sadist.

"Vengeful Angel it is…" I mumbled as I jotted it down in the notebook.

I heard Ron unpacking his bento, and the sound of Miku opening her can of vegetable juice.

"I guess we can take a break now…" I heard my phone chime. I looked at it and saw that I got a text from Rin.

–

_Len! I just came out of Miki's house they said that Miki wasn't home all day, that she left to school. I didn't tell them that she skipped, but I'm really worried now. Miki wouldn't lie like this…_

_–_

I sighed and decided to call her. I stood up and excused myself from the group. I stood outside in the hallway waiting for her to pick up on the other line.

"Hey!" came the familiar sounding voice, "Did you get my—,"

"Yeah, I did. Look, this may sound cold but—come back to the school. I need to tell you about the group and what we're doing…"

"**You're **worried about the group? Stop thinking with your dick! This is more important than wooting Miku. This is my best friend we're talking about!"

"Rin stop shouting…" I hissed, "We can't do anything about this. It's Miki's decision if she wants to cut class. You can't be on her like that. In the end it's her problem," I reasoned.

"Her problem? She's my friend, my best friend. And friends don't say '_it's not my problem'_ . Real friend care about others, and they help each other when they are stuck. The reason why Miki's doing is probably for Utatane-san. She cares about him as her friend and she's willing to get in trouble to help him. But Utatane probably doesn't even realize the hell she's going thorough for his sake. I have to open her eyes before something bad happens to her."

"Rin, you're being over dramatic!" Now I was realizing that Rin was being dead serious about this…, "Look come back to the school and we can come up with a plan okay. Running around like a chicken without a head is not gonna help anybody. Not you, or Miki or me for that matter. Come back. Now."

"Ugh. Fine…"

"How far are you?"

"I told you I just go out of Miki's house. She lives pretty close to the high school…"

"Okay, I'll wait for you…"

"Alright, bye."

"Take care of yourself…" I said before closing the phone.

I walked back into the clubroom and saw everyone in the group looked somewhat excited and smiling. I even saw the drama club president, Kasane Ted, sitting down among them. I looked a little lost, because it seemed that a lot transpired while I was outside taking my phone call.

"Ah Kagemine-san, your group was telling me about this skit idea you have," He began. He was a very tall senior with long reddish hair tied to a long thin pony tail. He wore glasses and treated himself with much class.

"Yeah, I actually did want to talk to you about it…" I said as I sat down.

"Len!" Miku piped, "Kasane-sempai said that we can include music in the skit. We were thinking about having the entire play be told in song."

"In song?" I asked.

"Yeah," added Ron, "I suggested the choir can play a part in singing the song, but you guys can sing the major roles too… kinda like a Broadway musical," he reasoned.

"I'm not going to sing," said Ppoiyo, "I'm just putting that out there…" he chugged down the rest of his soda.

"How does that sound to you Kagemine-san?" asked Kasane-sempai.

"Sounds good, umm… can I put money into this project?"

"What do you mean? You are already entitled to a portion of the funds of this group…." He said.

"No, no… like _my money_, because I wanna get really nice costumes and stuff."

At this, Sempai raised an eyebrow, "Well…." He took off his glasses and cleaned them with a small microfiber cloth, "Just be aware that I'm going to be responsible for the money you invest into this. I will get you a consent form in which your parent has to sign in order to do this… but I want the costumes to be rated for general audiences, okay?" He adjusted his glasses pushing it on to the bridge of his nose.

"I got it," I said with a nod.

"Good," Sempai stood up and pushed in his chair, "See me tomorrow in the morning to pick up the paper work and have it signed as soon as possible, "As for the rest of the members in your group. Get them to play as stage hands or something… I may have been lenient but if they don't do anything, I will consider pulling people out after Christmas break…"

At the mention of those words the other slacking members looked up and them and then towards us. After the Sempai left, they gathered around us, one of them addressing themselves to Miku.

"Don't worry, Kasane sempai just wants you all put an effort into the play. I'm sure if you all help us, our group will have the best skit in our club."

They all look like little sheep being comforted. Miku then looked at me, "I think it's safe to say that you will be in charge of how this play will turn out in the end. You are the one with the vision of the final project."

I saw Ron and Ppoiyo stare at me and nod in agreement. I swore to myself to not let anyone of them down.

"Right!" I said as I clenched my hand into a determined fist, "Okay Miku-chan, you're good with music, so I'll leave you with coming up with the song that we'll be using for the play." I handed her my notebook, "Just make copies of the entire plot I wrote out. Somehow you have to make the song tell the whole story."

Miku nodded. I saw her stand up and walk out with the notebook.

"Ron, what are you going to do?" I asked.

Ron leaned back on his chair and put his hands behind his head, "Well, I can't do much until you guys get the music and song down packed. Or any sort of music going on for that matter. In the case that you guys get music, then I'll just present it to the choir."

Miku stopped at the door before she was going to leave and looked back, "I'm sure that Kasane sempai can talk to your choir teacher when the time comes."

Ron nodded and then looked at me, "Yo, Len mind if I stick around with you guys tomorrow? I'm curious to see how this skit thing, would work out."

"Sure!" I scoffed, "Just don't blame us for you skipping in your choir activities."

With that Ron laughed, "What activities?"

I laughed too.

This play is going to be awesome!

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><p>END CHAPTER<p> 


	15. Matsuda san

**Vocaloid POV**: Miki Furukawa (SF-A2 Miki)

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><p><strong>15th Song – Matsuda-san<strong>

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><p>My mind is at a stand still. One side of me wants to keep trying, and the other, just wants to forget it all. But if I forget; I could never forgive myself.<p>

–

_I want only want the best for you... but I'm not that..._

–

I gripped the chains of the swing I sat on remembering those words he said, and closed my eyes. In every way, he seems normal. When I met him yesterday, when he had taken me to meet with that mysterious man. Piko seemed completely normal. But how he admitted to killing his foster mother, like it was just such a normal thing to admit to. That part wasn't normal. It was scary, creepy even.

But yet...

But yet he admits that he may not be "the best" for me... It's as if, he realizes that something is wrong with him. His is one living contradiction, saying the truth while he is living the lie. It's weird how this is all making sense to me.

I stare up at the sky as I began to swing myself slowly.

–

"…. _Miki?"_

_ Piko and I both laid on the grass of our favorite spot in the little park lookin up at the sky. It was back in the elementary school days. We were both still about ten years old at the time. Back before everything started spiraling out of control._

_ "Yeah?" I asked._

_ "When you lay really still, without even twitching for a long time... it feels like the whole world is spinning..."_

_ I tired it in that moment. After a little while the involuntary twitching of my fingers felt distant from the rest of my body... and sure enough the clouds seem to move along with everything else._

_ "... I think you're right..."_

_ I heard Piko laugh._

_ "It makes you feel small, you know? To think that we are just so tiny, living on something moving around in a giant universe..."_

_ "Yeah..." I whispered, "...It's crazy..."_

–

I blinked as I looked down. Blinking and blinking again... but I still felt the stray tear trickled down my cheek. I slipped my tongue out of the corner of my lips to wipe it off.

"You okay?"

I abruptly looked up and saw Matsuda-san looking down at me. He was this boy with sky blue hair with streaks of white mixed in. His red eyes matched mine as I looked into them. He had this deep contemplative look.

I wondered how he was able to find me here?

I know that he's an upperclassmen that became friends with Len. He sometimes comes up to me and tries to talk to me.

"I'm fine," I replied as I used my sleevie to dab away my watery eyes.

He sat on the swing next to mine. There was a moment of awkward silence between us. I was looking ahead at the small abandoned obstacle course where Piko and I spent so many days of elementary together after classes.

Slowly I looked next to me and noticed that Matsuda-san was actually staring at me. When he spotted my eyes meeting his, he immediately jerked his head away from me. I suddenly got this weird vibe. It told me that maybe he might have a crush on me. I've never caught this feeling before.

Has the fact that Piko's kiss, kinda awakened that sense? After all, when our lips parted in that moment, I've felt sorta weird all over. It was strange. I could feel my face get hot just thinking about it.

"... You shouldn't stay out here for a long time. It's cold and you might get sick..." I heard Matsuda deep voice echo out in the empty park.

I didn't say anything.

"...Well... I'm just saying..." I could feel him looking at me. But I didn't look at him back. Then, I heard him sigh, before he started speaking again. "I... know about your friend. Rin told me you're friends with this guy that's always getting in trouble..."

The hold I had on the swing's chains tightened.

"Utatane Piko, right?"

"What's it to you? Why do you wanna know?" I blurted.

For one, I never _ever_ talked about Piko or his problems to anybody. Ever. And I could tell he was going to start pushing buttons for me to 'fess up. Why would he want to? Is this the reason he came to see me?

I started to wonder, that perhaps he might know about Piko. But I still had my doubts. I saw the look in his eyes. His face seem indifferent, but those eyes, the were warm, tender...

"Just... leave me alone..." I begged as I hung my head.

The silence seem to hang in the air as the biting winter wind blew about. I stared down towards my feet watching the tips of my shoes bump into each other.

"You're a good friend. The best type of friend anybody can have..." I heard him say, "Not everyone is like that... kind of reminds me of my best friend. He's just like you."

At that I looked up and our eyes locked with each other once more. The sincerity in his expression piqued my curiosity, "What has he done for you?" I whispered.

He looked away from me, into the sky, "Stay by my side... He always stayed by my side..."

Matsuda went quiet for a moment his eyes distant as if remembering the past, "I... was never good at talking to people," he began, " I felt like I didn't belong, and I blamed myself for everything. You know, the basic problematic traits for a child with an alcoholic parent. I was an easy target for bullies and such, and well, that's when he showed up. He... stood up for me, and since then, he's stayed by my side. He's even helped out my sister from time to time. I owe him everything. I owe him my life, but he asks for nothing. No, he just wants to be my side, and if I would get in trouble, he would fight tooth and nail to keep me safe..."

I looked back down at my feet as I listened to his story.

"... And I know that you are willing to do the same for your friend..."

I felt my bottom lip tremble. Without looking back at him, I spoke, "Was there ever a time where you felt like a burden to him?"

He chuckled, "All the time... but that never stopped him..."

"Do you tell him to stop? Do you push him away?" I felt my voice echo, my hands gripping tightly at the metal chains of the swing.

"At first, I did. I felt like I was selfish. He had lost his other friends, and all he had was me, I felt happy but at the same time I felt guilty. But then, he told me... that it was his decision. He choose to spend time with me, and that he wanted to help me. Because he liked me, and that he liked to be around me. That he _wanted_ to be around me. After that, I stopped."

"... I see..." I whispered. I couldn't help but smile, "That is a good friend you have... I don't think I'm like him at all..."

"Furukawa..." I heard him whisper.

I stood up from the swing and brushed the wrinkles off my skirt, "Thanks Matsuda-kun, talking to you made me feel a lot better," I said as I gave him a bright smile.

His face suddenly burned a red color as he quickly looked off to the side, "Wha-whatever! I just hate seeing you all bummed out like that!"

I giggled.

I walked over and picked a small purse I had next to the swing pole. I can hear Matsuda's warm voice speak up.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yeah, I'm going home... My parents didn't know that skipped school, if I come any later, they'll find out that I'm cutting classes."

"Come to school tomorrow,"

I turned around and looked at him. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, in his regular expression, but he seems a bit flustered.

Again with that feeling. My eyes unconsciously took in more of his features. He had a soft jawline, tall with broad shoulders... Perhaps... perhaps... it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask him out one day...

"Furukawa?"

"...eh?" My eyes fluttered as my mind snapped back to reality.

"I said, that Rin's worried about you too. She was out looking for you today."

"Rin?"

Shoot that's right. She's been sending me texts. She always gets upset when I don't answer them...

"Yeah, are you sure you're alright?" He said as he reach out a hand.

I stepped back, "Yes, yes! I'm fine... I'll just get going... I'll come to school tomorrow alright? So I'll see you then, I guess..."

"Y-yeah..." he uttered.

"Kay, bye!" I turned and ran off.

At distance, I casually looked back, and I saw Matsuda still stand there... I felt my stomach just churn with this funny feeling, so I just kept running even faster.

* * *

><p>END CHAPTER<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Author Notes<strong>

* * *

><p>Matsuda is my favorite UTAU. I love him and I want more publicity for him! So if you don't who he is, look him up, NAO! щ（ﾟДﾟщ）<p>

Okay, so in other news... My life is very hectic right now. So updates are going to random and erratic. So I can't make any promises. Please leave any reviews, if you feel you have any opinions to express. Thank you!

- Zerolr -


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